


Maeve & Chase

by irona1217, Trench_le_Wench17



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Developing Relationship, Dogs, Drunken Flirting, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Firsts, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Mythology, Original Universe, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Relationship(s), Romance, Royalty, Sweet, Wine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24273814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irona1217/pseuds/irona1217, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trench_le_Wench17/pseuds/Trench_le_Wench17
Summary: In a Medieval village, an unlikely romance between two people, whose personalities couldn’t be more different. A noble, and a blacksmith. They go through hardships and life-changing decisions together- who knows what will happen or come between them?
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. The Noble & the Blacksmith

It was September 3rd, 110, and The hustling and bustling in Bitterwood, a small medieval town in the great kingdom of Dreapia, was never a new thing for the young or the old. Different people would arrive just to buy an assortment of things the vendors had to offer, or kids would come out of their homes just to run around and play with their friends. While this town wasn’t as homely as the others, there were still kind people who went out of their way to help someone, whether the task was small or big. 

It was late morning when a young lady, dressed in a light blue dress and a simple grey cloak, entered the town. In her hands, she held a basket of warm baked goods, ones she baked at home for the children at the orphanage. To many in Bitterwood, this young lady was a familiar face they often saw. She always had a kind smile and a gentle expression that never seemed to fade, and her golden-brown hair was often neatly held back either in a braid or just clipped to keep her hair away from her face. Her name was Maeve Noren. The little children would call her Mae, or even refer to her as a princess. They weren’t wrong to call her one for she was truly a beautiful young maiden, and she also had a noble ancestry, to an extent that is. Maeve Noren was the youngest daughter to the late Lord Valois. The Valois family was a french family, aiding the southern king with his ruling over Dreapia. While they had a high status, and even though she did live with her older siblings, an older sister named Delilah and two older brothers named Osiris and Adelei, she did not exactly share the status she had hoped for. Maeve didn’t have the same perfect parentage for she wasn’t the child of Lady Valois, but the child of another woman. This, as a result, made her somewhat of an outcast in the family. Her three siblings loved her dearly, and tried to include her in any way they were able to, even before and after the passing or both Lord and Lady Valois, but Maeve never truly felt like she could fit in with them. 

Now while Maeve made a beeline toward the orphanage and the church, another known person in town walked into Bitterwood. The male wore the same set of colours he always wore, dark shades of green, browns and blacks, it was nothing too extravagant, but rather simple. His hair was a dark brown and partially long, almost shoulder length, but it was almost always tied up. Often people called him the blacksmith, or just by his last name, however, only a few called him by his whole name. His name was Chase Hale. He was often reserved, unlike Maeve, only expressing himself to those he truly cared about. Chase was no noble or royal whatsoever. He was just someone trying to make an earning for himself and his half-sister. The two of them practically fended for themselves and had done so for a long time now. Chase’s father had left the family when Chase was around three, mostly because the man was having an affair, instead of faithfully taking care of his wife and son. His mother had remarried, in an attempt to maintain a suitable living condition for her son and herself and a year or so after that they had a daughter, Chase’s half-sister Melanie. Their mother passed away when Chase was eight, and they lived with the remaining parental figure who was there, Rufus, Chase’s stepfather. Of course, it wasn’t any easy after that, because Rufus wasn’t as caring as the two children expected. At the age of thirteen, Chase managed to drive Rufus away and cast him out from the house they lived in. (it is believed that Chase killed the man, but Chase has said he would never do such a thing. The actual event isn’t however certain.) After that is when the two had to fend for themselves, picking out jobs they could do to get money to keep things going.

Now our two characters passed by each other simply going about the rest of their day, being caught up in the busy little town they were in. Little did they know that their lives would eventually connect. 

~~~~~~~~~~

  


The wooden doors of the church were opened as Maeve pushed past them and walked inside. Her smile was greeted by a gentle ‘good morning,’ from the town’s priestess. “It's good to see you, my dear,” said the woman as she approached the girl dressed in blue.

“I’m glad to be here, anything to spend time with the children,” Maeve said as she followed the priestess to another room. The sounds of little children laughing and playing were heard as they entered. The silence seemed to follow for a few seconds when the children noticed the arrival of a visitor.

“Princess Mae!” exclaimed a six-year-old boy. A little girl, much younger than the boy ran up to Maeve before encircling her little arms around her. Maeve could only smile back at the children before she bent down to give the little girl a hug in return. 

The girl giggled in Maeve’s arms before she curiously asked, “ What’s in the basket? Is it for us? It smells really good.” 

Another child pipped in and added, “Did you bake more cakes for us? We really liked the ones you brought for us last time, Robin wouldn’t stop talking about them even after they were finished.”

Maeve straightened up and laughed quietly as she patted down her dress and looked back at the children. “ Thank you, I’m glad you liked what I brought the last time, but I baked something else for you guys today...and I’m sure you like it.” Taking the little girl’s hand she walked with her towards the others, answering their little questions and telling them things to keep a conversation going. All of them soon circled around her as she sat down on one of the chairs there, letting Maeve give them her attention by distributing what she had baked for them, and telling them a little story. 

As the church doors were pushed open, so were the doors to the forge, or well the fires were lit in preparation for the things that needed to be forged for today. Chase, along with the others who worked there had already gotten ready to begin, someone already working on the bellows to get the metals hot enough for shaping, while another finished up on something he had started the day before. 

“Looks like we’re going to have an easy day today boss,” Said the boy who continued to add air to the fire with the bellows, his actions allowing for sparks to fly up in the air.

“Aye maybe,” Chase replied as he observed those who were working, “Maybe I'll let all of you head home early...if and only if we don’t have much to do today...but it's only morning, who knows what the day has in store for us.” He sighed quietly while he patted the shoulder of the boy he was speaking too. He then proceeded to get to work, getting his things to forge what was requested by different people. The church had a few things they needed, as did other townsfolk and the noble families of both the north and the south, so maybe there was more to do than expected.

It was however around five when both Maeve and Chase decided to call it a day. Chase decided to let the others there go home earlier, and Maeve finished spending her time with the children for they had other things to tend to. As the two of them lingered back, at their respected locations, they thought about what they would do next. Seeing that there wasn’t much to do back home they both decided to go to one place:

_Borin’s Tavern._


	2. Books and Booze

Borin’s Tavern was always busy, mostly because people preferred it over the others. They just had better ale and food. Chase went there often, not because he drank a lot (okay well maybe he does drink a bit, but it’ll all make sense later), but because his sister worked there. After Rufus, his stepfather was gone, Chase had made sure his sister was safe. Melanie being a barmaid wasn’t entirely the safest thing, especially when surrounded by a lot of drunk people with their wandering eyes. 

Maeve, on the other hand, didn’t really go to the tavern as often. Now while she may be painted as a person with perfect ideals, she did love her alcohol. The whole Valois family technically did, mostly because they grew up next to a wine orchard, it being one of their primary exports to other parts of the kingdom, or any kingdoms outside of Dreapia. 

Chase was first to get to the tavern, finding a seat that was unoccupied. He didn’t look too grubby, despite today’s work, but as he sat there he tried to get some of the soot off of his nose. He was then interrupted by a cheery voice, belonging to none other than his sister. “Well look who it is, didn’t know you’d be comin’,” She said as she set a tray of empty ale mugs down on the table. 

“Ah well, I thought I'd drop by...how was your day so far?” he asked her. He had leaned forward a bit on the table, resting his elbows on them as he spoke to his sister, making sure he could hear what she said over the voices of the others in the tavern. 

Melanie had stopped for a moment, taking a break to speak to her brother. “Oh, you know, just working- obviously. Making sure regulars and new visitors get what they want, it's really busy today. Do you want anything to eat or drink?” Melanie asked him while wiping away some sweat off of her forehead before she tucked a strand of her dark brown hair behind her ear, keeping it away from her face.

Chase thought for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I’ll just have some ale,” Chase said, now sitting back in his chair. With a nod his sister went off again, refilling and filling up new pitchers and mugs for the orders she had received. Chase had sat in silence, greeting a few regulars he recognized as he waited for his sister to come back. After a few minutes, she returned, sliding the mug over toward him before she went back to doing the rest of her job. He assumed that she was going to be working late so he didn’t plan on bothering her any further.

Meanwhile, Maeve had decided to get something to eat before her journey back to her home with her family. She had walked into the tavern with the cloak over her head to keep attention away from her, there were actually quite a lot of people in the tavern and she didn't want to bring too much attention towards herself. The people of Bitterwood were often seen going there after work, or they’d stop by even if they were just visiting the town, just like how Maeve was. She walked through the tavern trying to find a place to sit when she bumped into a chair. The chair Chase currently sat in. Maeve almost tripped and fell in the process, but she managed to catch herself. While she did hold onto her basket she unknowingly dropped her journal, it being pushed under his table as someone walked by and happened to kick it. She usually kept her thoughts and feelings in it since she didn’t like talking about them much unless she was persuaded too by her sister or if she was under the influence of alcohol. 

Maeve had turned her head and looked over at the person she almost tipped over and saw the man looking right back at her. “Are you alright?” He asked her, a look of slight concern etched on his face. She nodded, moving some hair away from her face. She was fine, but she felt horrible that she bumped into him. While Maeve looked back at him she observed his softer expression. He didn’t seem drunk like the others there, and something about his eyes seemed peculiar, but she couldn’t think much about it in the dim lighting of the tavern and her current situation. 

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry though, that was really clumsy of me,” She said laughing nervously. “Anyways, sorry again. Have a good evening,” she quickly added before walking to find a seat so she could order the food she had wanted. It wasn’t hard for him to notice her expression and how she felt bad for her completely unharmful mistake, however, Chase couldn’t say anything else for she had disappeared through the crowd. Turning his attention back to his mug he looked back at the ale which was still near the brim. He took a swig of it before setting it back down on the table. He then leaned back in his chair when he felt his boot kick something on the ground. Chase averted his gaze to the ground as he looked under the table, finding a small brown book on the ground. He picked it up examining its leathery cover when he noticed the name ‘Maeve’ engraved on it in cursive. He knew there wasn’t a barmaid named Maeve in the tavern but as his sister passed by he quickly asked her, “There’s no one named Maeve working here right?”

His sister only shook her head before saying, “No we don’t have a Maeve here...but the young woman who just walked out a few moments ago was named Maeve.”

Chase practically sprung out of his seat before he maneuvered past the people who crowded the place. He stepped out of Borin’s tavern and looked around in both directions to find the girl who had bumped into his chair. He couldn’t find her despite the lack of people on the street, but he did catch a glimpse of blue. The same colour he remembered seeing in the dimly lit tavern. Picking up his pace towards the person he called out saying, “Maeve!”

The young maiden heard her name being called but didn’t recognize the voice of the person calling out to her. She panicked slightly, overthinking things as she tried to connect the voice with a person. As she clutched onto her grey cloak she slowly turned around. “Ye-s,” she quietly said before making direct eye contact with the male that stood before her. She tilted her head slightly as she looked back at two different coloured eyes, one blue and the other a hazel brown, belonging to none other than the man she had bumped into. “You…” She said, almost at a whisper, “Oh my, have I done something wrong? Did I actually hurt you? Or Did I forget to pay?” she began to worry once again. 

Chase hesitated, trying to find his words as she panicked. “No, no not at all, you didn’t do anything wrong at all. I was trying to find you because you dropped thi-” he said, before being interrupted by her. 

“Wait, How do you know my name? Do I know you? Have we met before?” she continued asking her series of questions, now seeming curious about who she was speaking too. She would have remembered someone like him, but as she stood there nothing seemed to ring a bell. 

As she thought about this, Chase laughed quietly, “No I don’t think I’ve met you before, love. aside from our encounter in the tavern...but as I was saying, I was trying to return this to you. You dropped it...and your name is on it,” he replied as he held up her book, pointing at her name. 

“Oh,” Maeve simply said as she felt her face heat up slightly from her exaggerated reaction. “I mean, thank you, I appreciate it. I would have been devastated if I had lost it forever,” She said as she gratefully accepted her book from his hands. Mae smiled kindly at the gentleman before she said, “You know my name, I think it’s only fitting if I knew yours. That way I can connect a name to a nice person like you,” 

Chase humbly nodded and said, “I’m Chase Hale, it's nice to meet you, Maeve.” 

He paused for a moment after saying her first name, expecting a last name from her to which she said, “...Noren, Maeve Noren,” 

They went quiet and stood awkwardly in silence for a few seconds. Deciding to speak up again, she teasingly asked, “You didn’t read any of it, did you?” Her question had received a chuckle and he shook his head softly. 

“I didn’t.” He said, smiling a bit. “Do you live in the south, around here?” Chase asked curiously, mostly to strike up a conversation, which Maeve had happily replied. 

“Oh, yes I do live in the south, but not near here in Bitterwood. But I often visit a few times a month to visit the children and go to church to visit the priestess. I usually bring things that I’ve baked from home… how about you? Do you live around here?” She turned the question on him, with a grin. While she could have pointed out where she did live, she wasn't planning on telling a complete stranger. 

“Not entirely. I live closer to the Citadel in the north, but just a short distance from the Norwick bridge. So in a way, I'm right in the middle of good old Dreapia. But I do work here. I’m the head blacksmith,” He said as he gestured in the direction of the forge, “ I’m actually surprised I haven’t seen you around before. I do go to Borin’s Tavern a lot though because my sister Melanie works there. She actually told me that you were Maeve.” Chase stated. 

Maeve smiled more and said, “Melanie? I know her, I’ve only met her a few times of course but she’s very sweet.” She paused for a moment and saw it was starting to get dark. Most people in Bitterwood were heading home or were closing up on shops. She would need to head back to the Stronghold before it got too dark. “Anyways, it was great to meet you- Chase. But I’ve really got to be heading home before it gets too late,” She said, studying his face for a moment. “And maybe, I’ll see you again,” She added with a gentle nod.

“Oh, of course. It was also great to meet you, Maeve, and maybe you will,” He said chuckling softly as he stepped back a bit. Maeve had given him a small wave before turning around and walking away from him and towards the stables. As Chase waved back and watched her walk off he let out a sigh. He looked back in the direction of the tavern in thought and decided he would head home as well instead of going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are your thoughts? We'll appreciate constructive criticism! The next few chapters will be updated in a few days and then possibly one day every week.


	3. A Friend at the Forge

It wasn’t long until Maeve decided to visit Bitterwood again, it was actually about a week and a half later when she decided to go back. September 15, 110 to be exact. Her thoughts kept wandering back to the man that had returned her journal, and she couldn’t understand why. While she got off her horse and held the baked goods close to her, she realized that a part of her wanted to see him again. He is the blacksmith, maybe she’d visit him and see how he’s doing. Or was that weird? It wasn’t like she knew him that well. Those thoughts were flooding her mind as she walked into the town, trying to change her focus on the orphans she was to visit. 

While Maeve walked to the orphanage around midday, Chase was already at work, forging and crafting. Well, he was actually working on inventory to make sure he wasn’t spending too much money on supplies, so his apprentices were essentially doing most of the physical hard work. One of them was actually out working and building new doors at the orphanage, fixing hinges, locks and getting a new set of keys made. So when Maeve walked upon the orphanage the children were not in there, they were out playing for the day. She let out a sigh as she dropped off the cakes and pastries with the priestess, leaving a note saying it was from her. She then walked out of the orphanage and looked around thinking about what she could do- that’s when she noticed the forge. 

It was a stone building at a normal size, having what seemed like only one other floor above it. There was also another section to the building at the side. It was open, only having two walls that connected it to the two-storey building, and it had a roof over it. The glowing of the hearth was visible there from where she stood. Maeve could actually see about three others working away. The clanking of someone shaping and moulding a piece of metal was distinctly heard from a distance, while someone else was seen working the bellows to get more air into the hearth. 

Maeve decided to take a courageous leap and headed in the direction of the forge approaching some young boys, and even a man about the same age as her. “Um, excuse me,” She said quietly, almost not catching the attention of the men. One of them turned around, he was a young teenage boy. 

“Oh sorry miss, I almost didn’t see you there and Alan here didn’t even hear you,” he said with a short laugh as he glanced at the guy who stopped his clanking, looking back at them with a confused expression. “What can we do for you?” he politely asked her. He wiped his hands on his shirt, getting some soot on his clothes but he didn’t seem to care as he directed his attention to her. 

“Yes, is uh, Chase here?” She asked, trying not to be weird about it

The boy nodded and gestured towards the other floor of the building. “He’s in there, I’ll go get him for you just stay right here,” the boy said with a smile, and quickly ran into the building. He knocked on the door and walked into a room that had a small desk with papers on it, and the blacksmith sitting right behind it deep into his work. “There’s a woman here for you,” the boy said. Chase looked up from his work and squinted at him, “A woman? Who?” Chase asked as he thought about who it might be. Was he supposed to be meeting with someone today? Perhaps a client who needed something to be forged. Or it was someone else entirely different. “She didn’t say her name, she just asked for you… I told her I’d get you but she’s waiting outside,” he said before he nodded and walked back out to get back to work.

Chase let out a sigh while he wracked his brain to try and figure out who was waiting for him outside. He finished writing up something quickly and then stood up to go outside. ‘It couldn't be his sister, the others knew her, and no noblewoman was going to visit him for anything that needed to be forged. And It obviously wasn’t Fiona,’ he sighed in thought as he looked around and caught the eyes of her. Maeve. ‘What was she doing here?’ He thought to himself as he walked towards her. 

Maeve lit up with a smile as she saw Chase walk over. “Hey,” She casually said as she clasped her hands together. 

“Hey, afternoon love, what are you doing here?” he asked her curiously. He crossed his arms as he made a quick glance at those who were working nearby. The three there were clearly trying to listen in on the conversation, but immediately got back to work when they noticed the glance from their boss. 

“Well, I suppose I was just uh, coming by to see you- obviously,” she cursed herself under her breath and took a deep breath. “What are you doing after work? Are you busy?” She asked him, feeling her heart racing. ‘Why am I so nervous?’ She thought to herself. “I’m sorry that was weird. I suppose I wanted to be friends?” She gripped onto her cloak, knowing she is making a complete fool of herself.

Chase smiled as she gave him a response, doing his best not to chuckle back at what she said. “Oh really? I appreciate it,” he replied, being kind about it. He then quirked a brow at her as she asked him about what he was doing after work. He then smiled gently as she continued to speak, also noticing how nervous she reacted. “I’d love to be friends...and no I’m not busy after work and I don't have anything planned,” he stated. 

Maeve didn't realize she was holding in a breath until he replied. She smiled softly as he said he didn’t have anything planned. “Well in that case, maybe you would like to join me at the tavern?” She asked him hopefully. 

“Sure that doesn't sound like a bad idea...if you’d like I can finish up what I need to do and we can go there now,” he suggested. 

Maeve nodded, “Only if you can. I wouldn’t want to take you away from your work,” She gestured to the men who were working. “But if you insist, I can wait here for you while you finish up.” She said taking a step back, studying her surroundings for a moment before looking back at him.

Chase looked back at the others again and said, “Oh don't worry about it, things have been pretty easy these days so I’ll be able to finish up in a few minutes. You can have a seat inside if you'd like.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maeve agreed to stay for a bit as Chase finished the things he needed to do. Once he was free for the day he prepared to leave with Maeve. Chase told Alan to close up later since he was staying there for a while, and after that he went with Maeve to the tavern.

The two got themselves a table rather easily, mostly because it was one of the easier days at the tavern. They spent the rest of the evening together getting to know general things about each other. As they shared a meal and a few things to drink, they laughed together and became friends by the end of it, having a good time overall. 

Eventually they decided to leave the tavern and head home. Melanie was working late again, so it was just the two of them who took the same path out of Bitterwood. They slowed their horses down when they arrived at the fork in the road which split up towards the Norwick bridge and the Marives Stronghold. Chase offered to go with her towards her home but Mae politely declined, not wanting to have him go the extra distance before turning back to go up north. 

“Are you sure?” He asked her as they waited there on the path they took. 

“Yes I’ll be fine,” She replied with a kind smile, “I enjoyed spending time with you, I had fun.” Maeve was actually glad that she mustered up her courage to ask him to spend time with her. So far it wasn't a bad decision at all and she was happy she made a new friend since she didn't have a whole lot of those. 

“So did I, I’m glad we did this. It’s nice making a new friend,” Chase replied, smiling back at her. After a few seconds of silence Chase added, “We’ll clearly meet sometime again, take care, love.”

Maeve gave him a simple nod and a small wave. “I know we will.” She replied. She gave him one last look, and then turned around on her horse and made her way back to the stronghold, with chase still in her thoughts. She’s proud of herself for making a new friend since she definitely struggled with that a lot, and with that thought in mind she rode on. 

It was around eight when she finally arrived home. Not wanting to disturb anyone Maeve took the side entrance near the stables, and walked inside. She walked through the kitchens and out into the main corridor which led up towards the rooms of the castle. The young woman was about to make a direct path towards her room when she was interrupted by her sister, Delilah. She was sitting near in one of the reading areas they had, reading a book as she kept warm near the fireplace. 

“Oh you’re back!” She said as she set her book down, turning her attention to Maeve, “Addie was about to get all worried since you weren't back for a while,” She added before laughing quietly, “But don't worry, I reassured him that you’d be back soon...what did you do? Were you at the orphanage the whole time?” she curiously questioned. 

Maeve just smiled humbly and said, “Oh no, I was just spending some time with a friend.” 

Delilah nodded with a smile and said, “ That’s good to hear, I hope you had a good time.” The blonde then returned back to her book, not wanting to pester her sister anymore.

‘Yes, hopefully, I’ll be friends with him for a while,’ Mae thought to herself before she headed to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters will be updated in a few days and then possibly one day every week.


	4. 𝖬̶𝖺̶𝗇̶’𝗌̶ Mae’s Best Friend

The two of them became good friends over a couple of weeks. Despite the positive attitude Chase had towards this new friendship, he wasn't actually used to all of the company Mae would give him. She would be there almost every week or so, showing up wherever ever he was. At first it was rather odd, and she scared him a couple of times, but eventually, he got used to it. He even welcomed her visits and planned a few things for them to do as well. They would spend time around Bitterwood when Chase didn't have as much work, or they would simply visit other towns when they could, finding different things to occupy their time. 

Over the time they spent together, they got to know a few things about each other. For example, Chase knew a bit about her family. He knew she had an older sister and two older brothers, one of which had died pretty recently due to unforeseen circumstances. She also said that she wasn't too close with her father and her step-mother and that she never really knew her real mother. Chase was able to relate to that in some way, which probably helped them connect more. He also knew that Maeve could speak french, something that he found quite interesting, considering that not a lot of people did that in Dreapia. What he did not know however was the fact that she was a noble. She could have told him, but based on what she knew about him she decided not too. He had told her that he hated most nobles and royalty. Sure he had to work for the occasional noble family and of course the respected kings of both the south and north, but he had a great dislike for most of them, specifically because of the great disregard a majority of them had towards common folk. Maeve also got to learn more about his sister and a bit about his background, specifically things about his mother and less about his father. Based on what he had said, his mother seemed like a nice person. What she also remembered was the fact that his birthday was coming up, something he briefly touched upon. She however made the effort to remember it even if he didn't seem too invested in his own birthday. Maeve still had a few months until her twenty second birthday, and she often loved celebrating it. She wasn't sure why he acted like that towards his special day but she planned on making him change his attitude towards it. 

It was September 30th, when the two of them walked back from Aramore, a smaller town up north. They had spent the day visiting a few Axalmen, a group of people who had suffered far too much over the years of turmoil Dreapia had faced. Most Axalmen lived in Aramore or were spread out to other smaller towns near the border separating the north and the south. It wasn’t too cold outside, but there was a gentle breeze in the air prompting the two to still dress appropriately to keep warm. Besides it was often cold up north, and despite the changes in season, it even snowed sometimes, the further you went up. Most of the leaves in the trees closer to the border were beginning to change colour, having the different shades of red, orange and yellow among the green leaves that remained untouched. The ones that had already fallen down littered the path elegantly. 

“That was a change, it was nice,” Maeve said out loud as she walked next to Chase at a slow pace, “I haven't gone to Aramore in a while,” She pointed out, laughing softly. 

“Oh really, I used to go there pretty often, have a few good friends there,” Chase replied, “I used to work there actually, learned to become a blacksmith there when I was younger,” He added reminiscing for a short moment. 

They were nearing his house, where they had left their horses, when he asked, “Would you like to come over? I can get you something to drink and maybe make something to eat. It’s not that late yet, and I haven't got anything else planned for the day.”

Maeve smiled and said, “I'd love to.” With a nod from the blacksmith they made their way in the direction of his house, the fallen leaves making a quiet crunch with every step they took. 

Chase got out his keys once they arrived there, and proceeded to unlock the door. Once the door was open, something ran out before they could even enter in. It was a dog. A black and brown german shepherd standing around one foot tall. It was happily wagging its tail upon getting out of the house, glad to be outside once again. He barked happily upon seeing Chase, clearly excited to see that one out of the two people who took care of him was home, but then he noticed Maeve standing a short distance away. 

Before Chase could even say, “Ryder no,” the dog ran towards Mae, excitedly pouncing up towards her to give her a series of puppy kisses. 

Ryder kept jumping up on Maeve and she had stepped back a bit, trying to avoid the slobber from the dog and avoid falling down. She was covering her face at first since she was shocked, not really knowing how to react to this surprising encounter.

Chase tried to hold back his laughter while he reached forward and pulled Ryder away from her, holding him back. Maeve took a moment to compose herself again wiping away the slobber that got on her face before she laughed. A smile slowly grew on her lips as she let out quiet chuckles. “I’m so sorry about that, are you alright? He just loves meeting new people, often greeting them by pouncing and showing affection in the one easiest way he can,” He said chuckling softly with her, bringing Ryder back into the house before he could try anything else. 

“No, no, I was just shocked by it all,” She said, following them in and closing the door behind them. She looked down at Ryder with a smile, “You never told me you had a dog, he’s adorable.”

“I didn't? Well, I suppose he made up for that with one dramatic welcome. He’s really gentle though, he wouldn't hurt a thing, unless it deserved it,” Chase replied, laughing at the last few words he said. 

He watched as she approached Ryder and knelt down to give the german shepherd attention, cooing at him instead of speaking to the dog in a normal tone. Of course as Chase said, the dog started licking her face again. Chase let go of the dog and let Maeve give him attention. She giggled this time as he kept licking her face, giving the dog a hug in response to his actions. Mae then stood back up and looked around his house. She stood in the living room, and the kitchen was right by it. There was a large wooden rectangular table, right in the middle of both the living room and the kitchen, four chairs surrounding it and a little flower vase with a few lilacs sitting in the middle of it. There were a few counters to the right of it, along with a few pots and pans hanging at the side above them. A fireplace stood near the kitchen table and several candles were around the house to allow for some light when it got dark outside. A small table was in the living room along with a couch that was under one of the larger windows in the room, and two extra chairs opposite to it. There were even some paintings around the house, a few plants and other forms of decor like the dark purple woven rug at the door, a coat rack behind the door, and two bowls that probably belonged to Ryder. Most of which she assumed were from his sister’s decorating but she wasn’t going to make assumptions.

“I like your house, very neat and decorated...and it's very homely,” She said, giving him a small smile. She took off her grey cloak and placed it over one of the chairs in the living room. 

Chase chuckled, “Thank you....it's not much, but it’s home sweet home.” He walked into the kitchen grabbing a kettle and asked, “Would you like some tea?” 

Maeve looked over at him and gave him a polite nod, “If you’ll have one too.” Maeve then walked into the kitchen and kept looking around. She saw there was a small hallway which led to a wooden staircase that went upstairs, possibly to a bedroom or two. She couldn't exactly tell from where she stood. There was another smaller room near the staircase looked small enough to be a closet or something along those lines. 

She turned her attention towards Chase again and watched as he put the teapot on the hook above the fire in the fireplace, then making sure the fire was kindled enough to get a proper flame on. “Take a seat if you want, would you like anything to eat?” He said to her. 

Maeve shook her head. “Oh, no thanks. I’m not hungry,” She replied and walked over to the couch. She sat down and watched as Ryder jumped up onto the couch sitting next to her

“Have you always lived here? Did you build this house?” She asked him curiously, wanting to know more about him. Sure, she didn’t reveal much about her past but she planned to once he realized she wasn’t your average noble.

Chase pulled a chair over and sat opposite to Maeve and Ryder. “Um no, I haven't always lived here, but yeah I did build this one,” he stated, lighting up slightly. “Melanie and I used to live in the Hamerll territory (a territory which no longer exists because of the wars.) It was our parent’s house, but when she got a job a good distance away from our home we decided to find somewhere else to live....and well what better place to build a house than the literal middle of Dreapia. I actually was able to get it done before the war essentially got worse, even though the hundred year war was worse throughout all the years. I'm sure the other house was destroyed among all that chaos,” He explained. Chase then laughed quietly and said, “Woah I rambled off there a bit, I usually don't do that,” just as that the kettle signalled that the water had been boiled, and he stood up walking over to the teapot and grabbing it with a cloth. Carefully placing the kettle on the table, he walked over to the counter and got the cups, then he started pouring the water to brew the tea. “Would you like any honey in it?” He asked her.

“Yes please, and I think it’s amusing when you ramble. It doesn’t make me feel like the only one,” She smiled at him. Chase walked over to Maeve holding the two cups and handed one to her, and he sat down in the chair he brought over earlier. 

Maeve took a sip of her tea too, and it honestly wasn’t very good. He must not make it often, or maybe she was just used to the tea she drank at home. Either way, she stayed humble and kept her mouth shut about that and kept drinking. They were sitting in silence for a few moments before Chase said, “I know it’s bad, you don’t have to drink it,” He said referring to the tea, clearly noticing her slight discomfort to the taste. Maeve shook her head, “No, no. It’s good,” She said politely, of course, she didn’t want to be rude, he invited her into his home. After she said that, Chase just gave an amused smile, before setting down his cup on the nearby table. 

“By the way, I'm going to make you ramble again,” She said, a grin slowly growing on her face, “How long have you had him for? Was he a family pet?” Maeve asked as she ran her hand gently over Ryder's head, petting him. The dog seemed to like it as he moved his head and rested it on Mae’s lap. 

“He likes you,” Chase said with a smile, “ And no, I found him when he was only a few weeks old, and I raised him from there. He practically became my best friend, he followed me everywhere and even protected me a couple of times. He’s also useful with hunting,” He started off saying. “I think he was abandoned or lost during the war, so I took him in. Melanie was actually against having Ryder over, but she grew to love him,” he continued with a quiet chuckle. 

“I suppose he’s also my friend now,” Maeve said as she continued to pet the dog’s head.

“Do you have any pets?” He asked Maeve.

“Oh I don’t, I did have a cat when I was younger. Her name was Olivia, actually, I loved her greatly. She had pristine white fur, and her eyes were a bright blue, she was very beautiful. But unfortunately she passed away when I was seventeen, and my sister and I had to bury her. It was very sad, but she got a proper burial.” She said with a small smile, as she reminisced about Olivia. 

Chase had pressed his lips into a thin line as things grew awkward after she mentioned her deceased cat. “I’m sorry about your cat, I’m sure she was a loving pet,” He said and Maeve nodded and took another sip before setting her cup down.

“How did you pick Ryder’s name? I imagined my mother’s name to be something beautiful, like Olivia, so I named my cat that,” Maeve said to him. Chase then gently smiled again. “I just said a bunch of dog names or names in general that came to mind, and his ears perked up at that one, and it stuck. Essentially he picked his own name,” he said, with a short chuckle, “So he’s always been Ryder and that’s the only name he’s answered to.” He continued, watching as Ryder tried to jump up on Maeve in an attempt to sit on her. Maeve smiled and hugged him again as he tried to get on her lap, making her laugh. “I think you’re too big for that,” She said while gently pushing him back down away from her. The dog gave her a pouting look and walked over to sit on the floor near the door, curling up in the process. “Aww, he’s mad at me now,” She said grinning, looking back at Chase. 

“Aye, he didn’t like that but he’ll forgive you in a little while… Are you sure you aren’t hungry? I can make us something,” He offered. 

“Oh, no. I should probably be heading home soon anyways, my sister might worry.” Maeve humbly said. 

“would you like me to go with you?” He offered again like he always did, and Maeve shook her head. 

“No, I’ll be alright,” She replied before finishing the tea. She stood up and walked to the kitchen and she set the teacup down on the counter before asking, “Do you need help cleaning up?” trying to be helpful. 

He noticed that whenever he mentioned anything about her home, she quickly changed the subject but he didn’t think too much about it. “No, you go ahead and get home, stay safe alright?” He replied, standing up to walk with her to the door.

“I will, thank you for having me over. I’ll see you again soon, Chase.” Maeve said with a grin, before grabbing her cloak and pulling it on, then giving Ryder a little pat on his head before heading to the door. Chase stood outside as he watched her go on her way, waving back at her as she turned around to do the same thing. 

She loved spending time with Chase, but she felt a bit overwhelmed with her feelings about him, so she decided she would take some time to think about it. She didn’t want to risk a friendship for something else. She got on her horse, before heading towards the Stronghold, it wasn’t too far of a ride. 

Once she got to her home, she dismounted her horse and then headed inside and made her way to her room. When she got up there, she changed out of her clothes and sat down at her vanity. While she brushed through her long dirty blonde hair she carefully thought about how she was going to tell him that she was a noble. She didn’t want him to hate her, but she has been kind of lying about her past and where she lives, and if she wanted to figure her feelings out as well she would have to sort out a few of the small white lies that were made before. 

Meanwhile, Chase had cleaned up and gone for a walk outside through the woods with Ryder letting him go out since he couldn’t before. As he kept an eye on Ryder he thought about Maeve. Sure, he also started to develop some feelings for her, but she didn’t want to think about it too much. He didn’t want to get hurt again after what happened with Fiona. He didn’t want to get too close before the trust was broken again. 

He never really talked about it with anyone, but he loved Fiona, but now she was gone.


	5. Another Year Older, Another Year Closer to Death

It was October 13th, 110 now. To anyone else, it would just be a normal fall day, but to Chase, it was his twenty-sixth birthday. He wasn’t one for celebrating his birthday much and he didn’t get too many presents but his sister would always insist on doing something, even if it was something small. Unfortunately, she was working a very long shift at the tavern. She felt so bad, but she promised Chase she would make it up to him, and of course, he said, “Don’t worry about it.” Little did he know that a certain female that he cared for, would decide to show up at his house and surprise him for his birthday, even bringing him a little gift. Why did she go out of her way to do this? Because she was a good friend. Also because she was slowly catching feelings for her blacksmith. 

Maeve got off her horse, tying her up outside next to Chase's horse, and she held her basket close, as she almost always did. She had brought some Valois wine, and even baked sweet pastries for him, especially the ones she knew he would like. She approached his door and took a deep breath before bringing her fist up to the door and knocking four times, before waiting there patiently. She heard Ryder start barking, and smiled softly, excited to see Ryder again once she was let in. Oh, and she’d, of course, be happy to see Chase. 

Meanwhile, Chase was enjoying his day off from work and having a drink by himself. His coworkers convinced him to stay home today even if there were things to be finished. They told him they would finish those things up for him so he wouldn't have to worry. He didn’t have a cake or anything of the sort, so he decided to have cheers to himself while he had his drink. He sat in the kitchen bringing his cup towards his lips when he heard someone knock on the door. He looked in the direction of the knock before he placed the cup down, stood up and walked towards it. “Calm down, Ryder,” he told his dog before he unlocked the door, and opened it to see a smiling Maeve.

Of course, he should’ve expected her to show up, and besides- he had a pretty good idea on how she felt about him, aside from their friendship, and he believed that was another reason why she kept visiting. He thought it was adorable.

She wore a red cloak unlike the traditional grey one, and her dress was a darker blue this time. She also looked a bit like a little red riding hood as she held up her basket with both of her hands. “Hey, Happy Birthday!” She sang out as she pulled out a bottle of wine from the basket and showed it to him, still beaming brightly back at him. “We need to celebrate. You are another year older Chase Hale, and you’re here all by yourself. I hope you’ll thank me for granting you my presence,” She teased him, as she watched him let out a chuckle. 

‘More like another year closer to death,’ but he wasn't going to say that and be a buzzkill, he simply just put on a smile, letting her go on with her plans as he said, “For sure, I don't know what I would do without you,” teasing her back while he let her inside. 

Maeve walked past the door and she walked into the kitchen before setting her basket down on the table, taking the bottle of wine out and placing it next to the basket. “Where is your sister? Shouldn’t she be joining us today?” She asked him curiously as she took off her cloak and put it over the same chair as she always does.

Maeve wouldn't explicitly say this but she might have had a reason as to why she wore more expressive colours this time, and also why she put her hair in a half-up, half-down style, instead of her usual braids or simply hair do’s. It was quite possibly to impress him. Chase had noticed the colours and thought it suited her nicely. 

“No, she’s working unfortunately so it’ll just be us.” He said, smiling at her before walking over to grab two goblets before he set them down and grabbed the bottle of wine. He held it up, examining it when he looked at the ribbon which was tied neatly to the bottle’s neck. Holding up the end of the ribbon he read, “Valois Orchards?” furrowing his brows slightly he looked back at Maeve and asked, “How’d you get your hands on this, isn’t it expensive?” He asked her, curiously. 

Maeve froze for a moment as she felt her heart race, she didn’t want to lie to him but she also didn’t want him to hate her, so she thought of the quickest excuse. “It’s your birthday. I splurged a bit.” She told him, covering up her moment of panic with a short laugh before taking out some pastries that were wrapped up, also placing it on the table. 

“You didn’t have to do that, I don’t like when people spend money on me,” Chase replied, feeling kinda guilty because she did that for him, but he was still thankful for it as he looked at the things she had made, smiling back at her. “But these do look good, especially that tart,” he added, looking at the things she had brought. There was an assortment of things, all in different shapes, sizes and colours. He was grateful that she was here and that she had made the effort to make his birthday special, even if it was with a few small things. 

“Well too bad, you’ll have to live with it, besides we’re sharing it...and I’m sure you’ll love these,” Maeve said with a grin. Chase chuckled and twisted the cork off, the bottle making a pop as the cork was released. He then poured them both some wine and pushed the goblet closer to her before taking a seat at the kitchen table. Maeve joined him, sitting across from him, also bringing the wine bottle closer to where they sat so they could pour themselves some more. “What were you going to do for your birthday?” She asked him. 

“Uh, nothing? I didn't have anything planned. Can't go to work, because the guys there don’t want me over there today, and I don't want to just show up there despite their efforts…” He said before going quiet for a moment, “...I don’t really celebrate my birthday, I haven’t since I was a teenager and I only did because of my friends,” he trailed off again. “Back during the war, I celebrated with them since they insisted we needed days of freedom? Fun? You know amidst all the chaos and confusion, and I didn’t deny that, because we all just went drinking for a night or enjoyed the day in any way we could,” He said, before taking a sip of the wine. 

“Ah, okay. You were in the war? Did you fight for the north or south?” She asked him, as she took a few sips of the wine as well.

“I fought for the north at first with the Hamerll’s, but then I joined the cause- a militia in the south with a few others. We weren’t necessarily a part of the army of the south, we kind of just did our own thing...Is my past really that interesting to you?” Chase asked her. 

Maeve inhaled sharply and took another drink before replying, “Of course it is, you’re my friend,” She said softly before reaching over and grabbing the wine bottle and filling her, now empty, goblet up again. “And because I’m your amazing friend we’re going to figure out things to do right now,” She said in determination. 

“Things to do for my birthday? Here? There's not a lot to do here,” Chase said as he leaned back in his seat, watching Mae’s enthusiasm and amusement. She always knew how to put a smile on his face. 

Maeve nodded, a smile still glued to her lips, “We’ll figure something out like first we could try the things I baked, while we have our wine. We could probably do a small toast to you, even though we already started drinking but making a toast with another glass of wine wouldn't hurt,” she said, listing out suggestions. 

“Another glass? You already had two, give me a moment to catch up,” He said with a chuckle, going along with her suggestion. He finished what he had in his goblet before pouring another glass for him. “Alright a toast...to another year older and wiser, graced with the presence of an amazing friend,” Chase suggested as he held up his goblet from where he sat. 

“Yes a toast to that,” Maeve said in agreement as she also held her drink up. The two of them clinked their glasses before they drank their wine once again. Chase reached for one of the cakes which were among the assortments of things that were set out. Maeve even reached for a strawberry tart before taking a bite into it, careful not to drop any of the strawberries. She reached for a smaller cake, one she had made specifically for Ryder. She called him over and gave it to him so he could eat something too. Chase took a bite into the small round cake he had taken before looking back at it and asking her, “Is this a marzipan cake? I haven't had one in so long,” he seemed to light up a bit before taking another bite into it. 

Maeve nodded, trying to finish eating what was in her mouth before she spoke again. “ Yeah, you mentioned it to me once, how you loved eating it as a child, and of course I knew how to make it,” She replied with a proud smile. 

“Wow Mae, you remembered that? You know how to get to my heart huh?” he said rhetorically as he continued to smile back at her. 

Maeve laughed a bit as he said that, and her face did heat up a bit, her cheeks flushing a light pink. She let out a small sigh and took another sip of her wine before she tried to shift the topic. “When did you want me to leave…?” She asked him, trailing off, as she crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward a bit, reaching for another tart. 

He reached for his goblet of wine again before saying, "it's up to you love...It's not like I’m going to kick you out, nor am I forcing you to stay, unless you need to be back home at a certain time,” He replied, then bringing the goblet towards his lips so he could take another sip of the crimson beverage. He didn't want her to leave anytime soon for he was actually enjoying her company, and was liking how the day was turning out so far. 

"My family life is complicated but I can do whatever I want as long as I don't break laws," Maeve said grinning. 

"As long as you don't break the laws hmm? Well, you're friends with the wrong person then," Chase said before laughing, clearly joking around. “I break the laws left, right and center," he added, exaggerating his words before he took another sip of his wine. 

"But before I met you, I spent most of my time at home. My brother ... he died on a voyage, and it was a struggle to try and get out," She admitted. "But let's not talk about that, I tend to ramble when I start to drink,” Maeve said, clearly starting to feel a bit tipsy. That didn't stop her however from reaching for another serving of wine. 

Chase went quiet again as she continued to speak about her brother. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said before she decided to change the topic. When she reached for another glass of wine he raised a brow and asked, "You're done already?" He looked into his goblet to see how much he had left, he was barely done with his second glass. She either drank the wine faster than him, or he just took his time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

About a half-hour had passed, and Maeve definitely loosened up around Chase, as she had over six glasses of wine, and was feeling more of an effect now. She was sitting back in the chair, with the goblet in her hand swirling the drink around, looking very classy in the way she sat. "I think maybe I've had wayyy too much too d-drink," she said, slurring and stuttering her words a bit. "But I'll be find," she said, not realizing she was speaking improperly.

Chase had watched Maeve finish her third glass much faster than her first, and as she poured three more after that he contemplated hiding the bottle of wine, but he was certain she would find the bottle even if he did that. He looked at her in disbelief and shook his head. "Yeah, no shit ... and that's coming from someone who drinks quite a bit. Hell, more than half of the bottle is empty," he said, the corners of his lips quirking up as he smiled back at her improper speech that seemed to arise because of the alcohol. It was adorable and hilarious but it still felt weird to see her this drunk. 

Maeve had attempted to stand up from the table but tripped over her dress as it got caught in her chair. She, fortunately, caught herself. “I should probably go home though,” She managed to say and she reached for her red cloak, and started heading for the door. Ryder had titled his head as he watched her stumble around, and fall right into the wall, but she managed to catch herself again, “I’m sorry about that,” She mumbled to the wall, still attempting to make it to the door. 

As Maeve stood up to leave and nearly fell, he had reflexively stood up from his seat to help her, making sure she didn't hurt herself. "You're going home? That's probably not a good idea at this point… you couldn't even make it to the door without apologizing to the wall, and you might not even make it outside in your current state," he said, clearly a bit worried for her as he stood close by to keep her from stumbling around. 

Mae looked over at him. "I think I'll be find," then she looked at him and gave him an innocent smile. She took a few steps back before colliding into the wall again. She was going to apologize again when she remembered what Chase just said. "Actually, you're probably right," She said as she stood up straight and walked over to him, laughing quietly in the process. "Wow, you have a nice face." She said giggling more, tapping his nose with her finger, before she walked over into the living room. She sat down on the couch, really slowly. Maeve clearly wasn't conscious of what she's saying, but when drunk that was probably her most honest state.

Chase watched her stumble around before walking towards him. Crossing his arms, He tilted his head and furrowing his brows, he looked down at her with a small smile. Her words were all over the place, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly at them. However, despite the amusement of the situation, he also looked confused and concerned at the same time as she made her way towards the couch.

She looked over at him and patted the spot next to her. "Come sit with me," Mae whined slightly as she pulled her knees to her chest and laid her head down on her knees. 

He uncrossed his arms and walked towards the couch, taking a seat next to her, a slight smirk tugging at his lips at what she said. "You're not...find," he said quietly, before stifling in a snicker as he tried not to laugh while he repeated her improper word.

Mae watched as he came over and sat next to her, and she leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment. "Can I stay here tonight?" She asked him softly while she rubbed her eyes. Maeve curled up next to him and used his shoulder to rest her head. "I'm sorry, I'm being like this," she said, and she bit her lip softly as she lifted her head up, and looked at him. "I'm sorry if I ruined your birthday," She said, realizing what she did was quite selfish.

He smiled softly at her as she apologized before he said, "you don't need to apologize, love, You didn't ruin anything. You just being here today made my day so much better ... and eventful," he gave off a short laugh before Maeve laughed softly with him. "And of course you can stay, you don't have to ask...my doors and my house are always open for you Mae," he said quietly as he looked up at the ceiling and then back at Mae who continued to rest her head on his shoulder. "And as much as it is amusing, you should probably get some rest now," he added, knowing she had to take care of herself before she felt worse. He moved a strand of her hair away from her face as he looked down at her with a small smile, "and I'll be here to make sure you're okay,” he reassured her. 

Mae couldn't help but smile as he looked down at her. She looked up at him smiling sweetly. "Okay," she said softly, as she kept looking at him, just admiring him for a moment. She sat there, studying his facial features for a second, looking back into his unique eyes until she slowly reached up and kissed him softly, closing her eyes as she connected her lips with his. It was a brief kiss, only lasting a few seconds. She pulled away, resting her head on his shoulder again, before saying, "you're really handsome..." She giggled, as she rubbed her eye with one of her hands and she closed her eyes, and stayed silent, feeling herself slowly drift off to sleep, but not entirely. 

Chase didn't expect her to kiss him but he also kind of did see that happening based on how she was acting. Especially since she was drunk and incoherent towards what she was saying or doing. He didn't know how he felt about what happened but a smile slowly grew on his lips as she rested her head on his shoulder again and spoke. He had caught enough feelings to just simply stare back at her and not say anything for a few seconds. "You think I'm handsome hmm?" He asked her, "Well I don't think it beats how beautiful and unique you are." Maeve turned her head and looked back at him again with a gentle smile at what he said but then she felt her cheeks get hot again, as she looked him over, her blue eyes a bit glossy. When he called her beautiful she couldn't help but look away for a second, blushing even further. Chase tilted his head slightly as he watched her blush. He realized she probably wouldn't remember any of this tomorrow as he thought about how he felt about her. She felt the same way, but would it be worth it if he leaned in to kiss her again if she didn't remember? Was he ready to move on from his past relationship to pursue another one? Thoughts like these raced through his mind until she spoke up quietly.

"Yes I think you're very handsome,” she said, confirming his question as she turned her head to look back up at him. When she returned her gaze to him for a few moments he decided to lean in slightly, partially unsure if he was going to let their lips meet again or not. She looked back at him again and saw him leaning in towards her lips, and she closed her eyes as she moved towards him. "Are you going to kiss me back?" She mumbled a bit while she moved her hand to the side of his face, feeling a bit of stubble from the facial hair he had on his face. 

He slightly leaned into her touch while he smiled at her reaction and her words. "Unless you don't want me too..." He quietly said as he purposely stopped just a few centimetres away from her lips. Close enough that he could smell the sweet ropy fragrance of the wine she had been drinking, but far enough for a small gap between them. 

“I never said that I didn’t want you to,” she whispered, her eyes still remaining closed while his lips hovered above hers. A smirk grew on Chase’s lips as he looked back at her, before he closed the small space between them, connecting his lips with hers in a gentle and affectionate kiss. She kissed him back, with equal gentleness, moving her other hand towards his shoulder while his right hand rested gently on the side of her face. As they kissed each other time seemed to stop. Even Maeve’s heart continued to race within her chest as they shared this moment together. It was only something between them and no one else.

As she pulled away after several seconds and she looked up at him. “I’m probably not going to remember this.” She said, as she then found herself closing her eyes, and starting to drift off while she leaned on his shoulder again.

“Yeah you probably won’t,” Chase quietly said as he watched her slowly drift off to sleep. Maeve wasn't sure if she would remember this, or if she would think this was all a dream. A dream her feelings towards Chase had conjured up. With that thought in mind, she drifted into a humble slumber. 

Chase carefully picked her up bridal style and made his way to his room, making sure he didn’t trip on his way up the stairs. He gently placed her on his bed and pulled the covers over her, smiling at how peaceful she looked in her sleep before walking out of the room and letting her rest. He put the wine away and cleaned up anything that remained on the table, storing any of the remaining cakes and pastries back in the basket before waiting for his sister to arrive. He however crashed on the couch within a few minutes, letting the rest of his birthday be celebrated in slumber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunlight peeked through one of the two windows in the room, adding some light to the darkness that was there. The beam happened to fall right on the young maiden who slept peacefully in bed. Groggily, Maeve’s eyes fluttered open as she woke up to the sunlight, not realizing where she was at first. Her eyes squinted at the sunlight, trying to adjust to the brightness that was upon her. She felt a big soft blanket over her, and she was cuddled into it. Weird. It kind of had a familiar scent to it. Hearing heavy breathing next to her, her eyes shot open all the way, waking up more as she turned her attention to who or what was next to her. Her sudden panic was soon eased when she realized it was Ryder who was curled up next to her.

Maeve sat up from the bed, her hair a mess and her dark blue dress all tangled around her, possibly from all the tossing and turning she did. She moved around a bit, and the dog opened his eyes and lifted his head up at her, tilting his head while a small sound like a whine escaped his lips. She smiled at Ryder while she tried to remember the events of the night before. Maeve knew she had come over to Chase’s house, did she fall asleep here? She pulled back the blanket and slowly stood up from the bed, making her way to the door. Once she opened it she peeked her head out, coming into a corridor. There was one other door down the hall to right and. As she walked down, taking a left from the room she was in, she found two more doors possibly to another room and a closet. She approached the stairs, slowly climbing down them. However, as she got to the last step it creaked loudly. “oh no.” she said under her breath as she made her way down the hall and towards the kitchen and living room. Upon entering she saw Chase sleeping on the couch, peacefully. He was snoring gently but he looked a bit uncomfortable sleeping there, considering that he was pretty tall and the couch was a bit small. 

Maeve tried to remember again and she recalled drinking the wine. Before she could continue reminiscing, Ryder had trotted down the stairs, looking back at Maeve as he entered the room. Chase stirred slightly in his sleep as he heard the creak but only woke up as the dog, nudged his limp hand, before curling up on the grown and falling asleep again. The man slowly woke up, blinking quite a bit as he tried to wake himself up properly. He rubbed his face gently as he turned around, now laying on his back and facing the ceiling. He sat up and began yawning while he looked around, catching sight of Mae who was standing there. “Oh hey!” He said, surprised to see her standing there. “Morning...how’re you feeling?” He added as he ran a hand through his dark hair which wasn’t tied up this time. As he slowly stood up from the couch, he tied it up quickly. He also felt his body hurt slightly from how he slept on the couch. He stretched a bit, hearing a few pops before he looked down at the sleeping dog. “Did he wake you up?” He asked her while gesturing at Ryder.

She watched as he sat up, and tied up his hair. “I’m fine,” she said ignoring the fact that her head hurt a bit. She looked at him and at the dog with a slightly confused expression. “no.. if anything I woke him up,” she admitted, “but- what happened last night? like why was I sleeping in your room, and you were sleeping on the couch? It should’ve been the other way around, it's your house...and it was your birthday,” she said, questioning him. “I think I was drunk. Oh my god. I was drunk. On your birthday. I’m- I’m so sorry. What did I do? What did I say?” she asks him, as she began remembering a bit. She flattened down her hair and dress trying to make it more presentable while she kept trying to remember what had actually happened. 

A smile grew on Chase’s face before he laughed at her slight panic. “You were drunk, yes...and all hell broke loose...you kicked me out of my room so I had to take the couch,” he said with full exaggeration, poking fun at the situation. He then shook his head and said, “I’m kidding, but you really don’t remember anything?” he asked. Chase wanted to see if she possibly did before he explained. There was still the chance she remembered the kiss unless of course, she was that drunk. He drew in a breath and started saying, “You tried to leave, but you were stumbling around, so I let you stay the night and take my bed to get some rest...and no you didn’t ruin my birthday, it was all fine.” He gave her a reassuring smile as he walked towards the kitchen. He deliberately left out a few things for now and decided to mention them later. He opened a few windows before eyeing her to see what she was going to say

“Oh...god- that’s so embarrassing,” she said as she sat down on the couch again, grimacing as she held the side of her head before pulling her knees to her chest like she did the night before. “It’s probably best if I go back home maybe, I think I’ve embarrassed myself to last a lifetime,” she mumbled as she moved to stand up, and she took the ribbon that was tied around her wrist and moved to put her hair up since it was a mess. “Do you need help with anything...or did I do anything else, that you didn’t tell me?” she asked him, as she walked closer to him.

“You’re only human… it wasn’t that embarrassing, it was amusing though, besides it’s not as bad as you forgetting how to speak properly, before proceeding to call me handsome, and then giggling adorably,” he simply said, glancing at her as she walked closer towards him. He turned to face her and smirked, giving her a wink. “Trust me, love I was flattered,” he added with a light chuckle, moving to get some water boiling. “And does my recollection trigger any remembrance into anything else that happened?”

As she stood there a few feet away from him, she listened to him while staring at the ground, as her face started getting hot and turning a bright red. After he asked if that triggered anything, she looked up and him and crossed her arms over her chest. “No- what else happened?” she asked. She then remembered what happened, letting a quiet gasp escaped her mouth, but she didn’t say anything about it, wanting to see what he would say.

He observed her, realizing she was remembering a few things. He didn’t know what she remembered but it didn’t stop him from continuing to talk about yesterday night. “Did you mean it? When you called me handsome, and pecked a kiss on my lips?” He asked her, not letting his gaze shift from her while he smiled. He could see her blush and get flustered as he continued to recall things. 

“Did you mean it, when you called me beautiful and kissed me back?” she retorted innocently, as she eyed him, biting her lower lip gently. “And I just kissed you- like a peck. You kissed me. You KISSED me,” she said, emphasizing the word ‘kissed’, as she walked closer to him, so she was just a few inches from him. “You kissed me back,” She repeated, looking him over as she placed her hand on the table next to her, and the other on her hip. 

“I meant it...but did you not want me to kiss you back, love?” He asked as he quirked a brow, grinning down at her. “You could have stopped me if you didn’t want me too,” he added, his smile not leaving his lips. “Besides, you seemed eager to either way...and you kissed me back if I remember correctly,” he crossed his arms and added as the water finally boiled.

“I never said that... I actually quite enjoyed it,” she replied, her face not returning to its normal shade as he looked her over. “And I did kiss you back, and then I fell asleep next to you,” she said recalling. “Did you enjoy it? when I kissed you?” she said stepping even closer, clearly flirting and bringing her face inches from his, clearly wanting to kiss him again. “And I’m sober this time. Kind of,” she said hinting at the fact that she’s hungover.

“If I said I didn’t, I’d be lying,” he said as he watched her step closer. “You don’t plan on leaving anytime soon right? Cause I’ve got a proposition love,” he started. “Why don’t I draw you up a nice warm bath, and you can freshen up...and sober up properly...and then you can kiss me all you want,” he replied, now giving her a smug smile. He wanted her to feel better before she planned on doing anything else because he cared about her.

“I wasn’t planning on it.. and I didn’t bring any extra clothes though,” she said, crossing her arms across her chest, looking at him sideways.

“I’m sure I can get you something to wear, my sister’s probably got clothes she hasn’t even worn, or we’ll make do somehow,” Chase simply said with a shrug.

“Also, your dog is licking my hand.” She said as she looked down, at the dog sitting down and licking her hand. Chase also turns his attention to Ryder. She removed her focus off of Chase and kneeled to pet the dog, raising her voice slightly while she called him cute and adorable. “I bet this mean man never gives you attention, does he? Does he?” she said teasing as she kissed the dog’s head, and kept giving him attention.

He chuckled softly as she cooed to the dog and patted his little head, “wow I feel the love...and I thought I was supposed to be getting the kisses,” Chase remarked as he watched her kiss the dog’s head, pretending to look betrayed at her actions. He shook his head and smiled at them before he went to carefully pull the boiling water away from the fire.

Maeve giggles a bit as she looked up at Chase from the floor. “All you have to do is kiss me, Hale,” She said playfully while she stood back up. 

Chase glanced at Ryder and at Maeve with a smile at how they bonded. “Aww, I’m being replaced...I see how it is Ryder,” he said as the dog tilted its head at him. 

She pulled one of the kitchen table chairs away from the table before taking a seat, watching him take the water off away from the heat of the fire. “Sorry your dog loves me so much.” she kept teasing.

He then crossed his arms as he looked back at Mae, “So is that a yes? For my proposition?” he asked, receiving a coy smile from Mae. 

“Maybe…” She replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, it's one of the longer chapters XD. We hope you're enjoying the story! once again we will appreciate any constructive criticism or just comments about the story :)


	6. Kisses for a Noble

Time passed quickly and now it was November 12th, 110. The relationship between our lovely noble and her favourite blacksmith was kind of uncategorized. It was almost in between a friendship and an actual relationship. They weren’t as sure if they were dating, or if they were still simply friends, or maybe something else. They didn’t bother asking each other and nonetheless, they continued to flirt with each other and have their little banter whenever they spent time together. 

There was a fall celebration up north in the Omedal empire. The Graye family, a noble family of the north, was hosting the event, welcoming anyone to the Tower Eastgen. Of course, Maeve would attend that celebration instead of the one that was taking place in the south. This celebration was mainly in focus of the Axalmen, and Maeve preferred to spend time with them instead of the nobles because she thought it was best to do so, best to show her support to the minority group. Besides, her family was probably attending the southern celebration so she didn't need to go. In addition to that, she wanted an excuse to invite Chase to the fall celebration. She had to convince him to go with her since he persisted in staying put and not going to it, but after constant pleading and persuasion, he agreed to go with her. 

The Graye territory was far up north, so it was already snowing there, despite it being late fall and early winter. All the trees they passed by on their ride there were bare, sporting no leaves on them but the snow which was dusted on the branches like powdered sugar. The two of them had dressed warmly, wearing a few layers of clothing and a cloak on top to keep warm. Chase had his usual colours on but wore some of his nicer clothing that made him look more formal. His hair was also pulled back and tied neatly, only having one or two strays of dark brown hair that had fallen to the side of his face. Maeve was wearing a pastel pink dress that matched with the flowers in her hair which held together her half up half down hairstyle, and she wore her grey fur cloak covered over to keep warm. She even painted her lips light pink but wore little to no makeup. 

“I can't believe you convinced me to go with you,” Chase remarked as they kept a steady pace on their horses. “I don't think I’ve dressed up this well in a while...maybe I should head back, I’m not an Axalman, so also it might be weird.” 

“Hey stop it, we’re already almost there, no need to be a bummer about it,” Maeve said with a gentle smile on her lightly painted lips, “ Besides I’m not an Axalman, so you won’t stick out like a sore thumb,” she added while she reached over and poked his shoulder from where she sat. 

“Or maybe I’m a non-religious hermit, I’ll probably hate this,” he jokingly added with a grin, purposely trying to annoy her.

Maeve just rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, “Well Chase, you hang out with me, definitely not a hermit. And I'll make sure you'll have fun. Trust me, have an open mind, you don't know what you can expect to see there.” 

They continued before arriving at their destination. They left their horses at the respected location before walking towards the castle, pulling their cloaks closer to themselves as they tried to keep warm, their footsteps making soft crunches in the snow that had gathered on the ground. Since the grounds were covered in white, many footprints already littered the snow from people who had already arrived. The sound of horse hooves and rattling carriages were also heard from the few noble folks who were also attending this event. Black and white banners of the Graye household were up outside, and a couple of guards stood there to keep order if anything were to happen. Upon entering the two of them were engulfed with warmth. Their faces, which had turned a shade of light pink, slowly began to warm up, bringing back their sense of feeling to parts of their body. The sound of music was heard down the halls as was the buzz of conversation. Decorations of red, orange and gold were seen from flowers, banners and other decorations which added to the theme for the event. As they walked further down the hall they noticed a portrait of a cat. A black and white cat with wide eyes. It looked like it was staring into your soul, and its eyes seemed to follow you as you continued to walk. 

“Oh dear God, that wasn't there the last time,” Chase commented about the cat portrait, the Graye’s family cat, Opal which had become the family's emblem over the years. 

"you've been here before?" Maeve asked the male, earning a nod from him. 

"Yeah, I've been here a few times for work, and one or two events that my sister dragged me over for," Chase replied as they walked towards the doors of the ballroom. The two entered the hall and noticed a lot of people already walking around and talking, some even munching down on the assortment of food that was being served. Of course, our two protagonists made their way towards where the alcohol was being served. 

“See it isn't too bad, Mr. Hermit,” Maeve said as she reached for two glasses of wine from one of the servers who passed by. 

Chase just nodded as he accepted the glass from Maeve, looking around at a few people he recognized. He didn’t however know a lot of them. “Maybe you’re changing my opinion on this,” he said while he sipped the wine he had in his glass. 

Maeve couldn’t help but beam back at him. As she did, she could feel the bubbly feeling within her. That feeling she always felt when she was with Chase. 

The young woman was about to say something when she was interrupted by a familiar low voice. “Mae!” Said a man who walked towards her. He had a bright smile on his face that didn’t hide behind the moustache and beard that were on his face, and he had a kind expression despite the menacing-looking scar that went down from his left brow bone to right under his eye. His hair was short, black and curly, and he wore dark clothes in leathers, yet his chocolate brown eyes were warm. The Axalmen knew him well for his heroic deeds and efforts to help the group during their times of trouble. He was an Axalman himself. 

“ Edwin Jarvis! I haven’t seen you in so long,” Mae chirped back as she went to hug him.

“Indeed it’s been quite a while. How are you, I hope everything’s been well for you so far,” he replied, pulling back from the hug to look back at Maeve. 

Maeve smiled back nodding her head, “of course, things are going well, I hope the same for you. Yet Times are still troubling however…” she quietly said. 

Jarvis nodded in agreement, “yes they are...how’s your family? I hope they’re well,” he added, still gently smiling back at her. 

“They’re doing fine,” Maeve humbly said. She turned her head to introduce Chase to her old friend Jarvis, however, he was already occupied in another conversation. 

While Maeve conversed with a friend, Chase had quietly drunk away at his wine, not wanting to disturb what they were talking about. He had reached for whatever was being served when he had seen someone he knew quite well. Perhaps coming here wasn’t a bad idea. 

Not wanting to stray too far from Maeve he had walked to the person before placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Look what the tide brought in, didn’t think you’d come back, Alex,” he said just as the man turned around to look back at who it was. He wasn't as tall as Chase who was around 6’3”, yet he also had dark brown hair like Chase however it was much shorter in comparison. Alex was clean-shaven and wore clothing that did somewhat stand apart from most Axalmen and nobles present. 

Chase’s heterochromatic eyes were met with Alex’s green ones before a similar smile grew on Alex’s face. “Well if it isn’t Chase Hale,” said the caramel-haired male who immediately went in for a hug. 

“Aye, how’ve you been? What brings you here, didn’t think you came to stuff like this...and last I recall you were off travelling, sailing off to find new land along with its adventures,” Chase commented before he took another sip of the wine. 

“I’ve been alright, and it is a celebration with free good wine from the rich, why wouldn’t I come?” He joked, chuckling softly but then spoke up again, “No, but I’m here with a friend of mine, he dragged me along... Ah yeah, voyages. I only returned to Dreapia a few days ago, and coming back to a celebration didn't sound like a bad idea. How about you? What're you doing here?” Alex turned his attention to anyone who could have been behind Chase or who could have been in the direction he had walked from when he smirked and asked, “ Is that sister of yours also here too?” 

“Really?” Chase scoffed in response to Alex’s comment about his sister just as he chuckled.

Alex just laughed as he patted Chase’s shoulder and said, “I'm joking mate...but if she is here, I’d love to say hi, simple as that...or maybe steal her for a dance or two,”

“I’m sure you’d love to do more than that,” Chase remarked as he shook his head, “but unfortunately she’s not here. Though she might show up a little later,” He explained just as Alex reached for another glass of wine. “And like you, a frie-” Chase paused for a second, going back to the fact he didn't know where the relationship between Mae and himself was currently at, “uh someone else brought me along.” He finished his sentence before he drank the remaining amount of wine that was in his glass. He then turned back to gesture at Maeve who was still conversing with Jarvis. “I’m just here with her.” 

“Ah another lady,” Alex said with a grin, “Just like the good old days during the war, you’re still winning the hearts of the ladies, not leaving any of them for a chap like me,” Alex continued to joke, poking fun at his friend. 

“That never happened Al,” Chase corrected while he pursed his lips. 

“Ah, of course, it never happened,” Alex said sarcastically with a wink, making the two of them laugh. 

Chase then said, “I'm glad I caught up with you, it was great to see you mate. I do hope you visit soon, we can talk more and you can tell me about your trip.” Alex nodded in agreement with him, saying a few final words as well before they hugged each other again and returned to the company of those they were previously spending time with. 

Jarvis had also done similar with Maeve in the meantime. “It was nice talking to you Mae. Oh, and if you do see Trey let him know I’m looking for him...you enjoy your night okay?” he said, smiling back at her once more.

“Okay for sure, I’ll let him know if I see him, and you too,” Maeve said, just as she hugged Jarvis again before he walked away, disappearing into the crowd of people. Mae turned back to see where Chase was and noticed that he was walking back. He smiled at her as he approached her and she gave him a small smile in return. “See I told you this isn’t too bad,” She teased him, “You’re already making friends...just remember don’t replace me,”

“Yeah yeah, no need to rub it in,” Chase said dramatically, which had Mae laughing, “and secondly, that was an old friend, you technically replaced him.”

As they continued to speak, finishing their glasses of wine and setting the empty goblets away, quieter peaceful music soon began playing as people started to dance. Chase looked at Maeve and smiled before bowing and holding out a hand, “May I have this dance...Mae?” He asked politely. Maeve placed her hand on her chest, batting her eyelashes dramatically before she giggled and accepted his hand, nodding before they joined the others who were dancing. 

“Maybe this is the perfect time for me to tell you that I can't dance,” Maeve said, clearly joking as they placed their hands appropriately where they needed to be, one on Chase’s right shoulder and the other in his left hand, while his free hand rested gently at her waist. They began swaying to the music that was played, mimicking what the others were doing nearby. Chase only smiled at the moment as they moved seamlessly past and around people. 

“Well I suppose we’ll both just make a fool out of ourselves then,” He said, laughing softly, Maeve also laughing at his comment. It was a perfect moment between them. Maeve’s heart continued to flutter as she danced close to Chase, and the blacksmith himself could feel the sparks between them as they looked into each other’s eyes. 

It was nice, the way they were able to be themselves and let loose a bit as they spent their time together in each other's arms. They moved gracefully together, despite the occasional mistakes in footing, but non the less they seemed to have fun. They danced, Chase spinning Maeve around and pulling her back into the previous form they had taken until the song ended and the musicians took a break in prep for the next tune they were to play. Seeing it was a chance for them to also take a break, they moved away from the others dancing and went to look for more food or another drink. 

“I think you were lying...” Chase said to Maeve. He did, however, pause for a moment to grab two more glasses of wine for them, probably their fourth or fifth servings.

When he did pause Maeve panicked slightly. Did he figure it out? That she was a noble? Her heart began to beat quickly within her chest, and not in the former lovey-dovey way, as she thought about what he was going to say. “Lying about what?” she asked, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. 

“That you couldn't dance,” He replied, handing her the goblet of wine and smiling back at her, “Surely you must have had some lessons from someone,” he added as he brought the drink to his lips. 

Maeve sighed in relief as she heard the rest of what he had to say. She laughed a bit, trying to compose herself again before saying, “Ah yeah I was joking, and uh I did get lessons from my older brot-” She was however cut off as someone bumped into her, making some of the wine in her goblet slosh forward and fall onto the ground, creating of the splatter of crimson liquid on the ground and in parts of her pink dress. 

Chase had furrowed his brows and looked at the man who had bumped into Maeve, with a disgruntled expression, opening his mouth to snap something in return. However, before he could the other male had turned to face Maeve, issuing an apology. 

“I'm sorry about that, I'm just a little tipsy turvy or was topsy turvy?” The male said before he properly looked at Maeve. “I didn’t see you...you! Maeve! Oh I didn't realize it was you at first,” said the man. Like Jarvis, he too wore darker clothes composed of leathers and furs. He had defined facial features and some facial hair, along with long dark coffee brown hair that partially framed his face. His eyes were an icy blue, much lighter than Maeve’s turquoise ones.

“Trey, oh hey...it's alright, it’s a minor accident,” Maeve politely replied, brushing off the former interaction before the man had greeted her. She glanced at Chase, noticing his expression just before it softened back to his normal one. 

“I haven't seen you in so long, How have you been? Oh, and how’s your sister, Lady Valois, and your brothers, Adelei and Osiris,” Treyton casually asked. 

Maeve’s heart sank as she froze, hearing the words that came out of Trey’s mouth. She didn't know what to do now. She didn't know what to say in response, she didn't even know where or who to look at, she just stood there, slowly growing a bit pale. 

Chase on the other hand had furrowed his brows again. He didn't look angry, though he did look very confused. “Lady Valois?” Chase repeated as he looked back at Trey and then at Maeve. 

Trey just nodded, clearly not picking up on the expressions shown by the two before him. “Yes Lady Delilah Valois, her sister,” He said, explaining it with simple details. 

Maeve just wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. As her somewhat mortified expression slowly faded away another emotion rose. Anger. One that was directed towards the Axalman. “She’s fine, Jarvis is looking for you, and you just ruined everything,” She hissed back at Trey as she forcefully pushed her goblet of wine at him before storming off, not wanting to face Chase and his reaction to what had been revealed. 

The blue-eyed male stood there stunned as he held the extra glass Maeve had thrust into his hand. He looked back at Chase with wide eyes, both of them sporting confusion all over their face as they tried to understand what had just happened. 

Chase stood there for a moment before he placed his goblet on a nearby table and quickly followed after Maeve, who was almost at the exit doors of the ballroom. “Mae wait,” Chase called out to her over all of the music and chatter. He watched as she pushed through the doors and walked past them, the doors closing behind her as Chase maneuvered himself around people. He reached the doors and opened them, walking out into another corridor that went straight ahead, to his left and another to his right. He looked ahead of him, wondering if she had gone outside but then he heard quiet sniffles to his left down that corridor. He walked in that direction before he saw Maeve, sitting on the ground against a wall with her knees brought up to her chest. “Maeve…” He trailed off as he approached her and crouched down next to her, as the tears that were filling her eyes continued to fall. 

“You don't like me anymore, I understand,” She said in between her sniffles and sobs, still not looking back at him. 

Chase sighed and opened his mouth to give her a response, “Maeve...I never said that,” he said just before they were interrupted again by someone else. 

“Chase, I made it...oh hey,” awkwardly said Chase’s sister, who had just arrived at Eastgan for the celebration. She looked at both Maeve and Chase, raising her brows as she tried to guess what had happened. Her appearance made Chase sigh in defeat as Maeve quickly stood up from her spot and ran away again, this time making it outside. What was it with people today, interrupting them? 

Chase told his sister he would talk to her later before he ran after Maeve. He could see her a short distance away, running towards her horse. “Maeve wait, stop, don't go,” Chase called out as he continued his pursuit in hopes of stopping her. He did manage to catch up to her and he grabbed ahold of her arm. 

Tears continued to spill down Maeve’s face as she was brought to a halt by the man she loved, but she didn't want to face him and hear him say that he didn't love her anymore. “Let me go home,” she said, trying to wipe away the tears from her eyes. 

“I don't want you to go Maeve…” he said to her as she looked at her, she however continued to look away. “Hey, look at me,” he gently said. Maeve reluctantly turned around, still sniffling as she kept her gaze towards the ground, Chase moved his hand towards her chin and gently raised her head so they looked at each other. “You don't need to cry Mae, I don't hate you,” He said to her as he wiped away a stray tear that rolled down her cheek with his thumb. 

“You don't? Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?” she mumbled, pouting slightly as she looked back at him, struggling to keep more of her tears at bay.

“No I don't hate you Maeve, I’m just trying to wrap my head around this,” he stated. The man then chuckled softly before continuing, “I'm a bit of an idiot at times, I just thought you dressed really well, or you had exceptional manners. Or perhaps you were just that one unique person I never thought I’d ever meet, but it all makes sense now.” As Chase spoke, Maeve leaned a bit into his touch, a small smile growing on her lips at what he was saying. “Maybe I'm a bit confused as to why you never told me, but it doesn't change anything. Even if you’re a noble...hell you could be anything or anyone, but you're different...you have heart. You’re loving and caring, you’re very wild and goofy...and that makes you stand apart from the rest.”

They looked into each other's eyes while Chase spoke. It had slowly begun to snow around them, the snowflakes magically falling from above, dancing around in the sky before landing on them and around them. A few elegantly littered parts of their hair and one or two did land upon Maeve’s eyelashes. “I love you Maeve…” Chase then said. He smiled a bit, “and I know you love me too. And I don't think anything can change the way I feel about you,” he confessed. 

“Well you told me you hated nobles, and I panicked, I thought you would-” and that’s when he said those words, the words she had almost been aching to hear him say. Her breath hitched within her throat as she gazed back at him. “You do?” She asked him, and he chuckled and nodded as he looked into her eyes. Maeve couldn’t help but let a small smile reappear on her face again, “I love you, Chase,” she whispered. 

A smile tugged at Chase’s lips as he leaned down to her height, closing his eyes as he closed in on the space between them and kissed her. He had kissed her softly, his hand wrapping around her waist as he pulled her a bit closer. Maeve was shocked as he had kissed her, but she didn’t stop him. She wrapped her arms behind his neck kissed him back, their softer kiss becoming deeper and passionate with time. It was cold outside, but they couldn’t feel it in the heat of the moment. They felt warm in each other’s arms, their actions and words itself allowing warmth to spread through them. 

After what seemed like forever, Maeve was first to make the move and pull away. Her face was a light pink from everything that had just happened. “I'm sorry about all of that. What do you say, let’s leave...that’s what you wanted to do before right?” She said, still staying in his arms before moving her hands to adjust his jacket and straighten it out.

“Oh no, I was actually enjoying it,” Chase replied, a smirk then tugging his lips as he winked at her, “I’m joking, let's go,” he said and moved to help Maeve up onto her horse, and then Chase got on his before they rode back down the path that lead to his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the chapter updates being a little slow. If all goes well the next chapter should be up next week. Thanks for reading!


	7. Sticks and Stones, Mae Break His Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to leave a few trigger warnings for this chapter. There's violence, and mentions of trafficking/assault. If you don't feel comfortable reading through this chapter, a summary of what happens can be found at the very end.
> 
> I believe this is the longest chapter so far! I'm sorry for the long wait but I hope you enjoy it!

After what had happened at Eastgen, things between our noble and the blacksmith went on smoothly. They continued to spend time with each other, probably more than before, now that they had sorted their feelings out. Chase had gotten over the whole noble thing, despite it still being a bit odd for him. He just really didn't see himself falling hopelessly in love with a noble, but then again Maeve was different. She didn't exactly fall under that general stereotype. 

It was now November 23, 110. Maeve had come over to Chase’s house again, and they had planned another adventure. Another day’s worth of events to take part in. While it wasn't too extravagant today, such as attending a celebration or simply going to visit a few people in town, they decided to go for a walk in the woods. There was a nice path that followed part of the river which conveniently split both the north and south of Dreapia. The path was filled with some nice natural splendours and of course, it was one of Ryder's favourite paths to walk on. 

They had dressed warmly, now that it was much colder up north. There weren't a lot of leaves anymore, though a couple of plants still did retain their leaves since it wasn’t too cold in comparison to the northern climate near Aramore. Yet some of the snow did reach the territory where Chase lived. Maeve slowed down and reached for one of the branches which were lightly dusted in some snow. She pulled it down and released it, letting the snow fall off of the branch and sprinkle around her and Chase. They both laughed as it fell around them like fairy dust. Ryder on the other hand had already walked ahead of them, sniffing around and marking his territory.

“So, what type of stuff do you make for work?” Maeve asked him as they continued to follow the path of footprints Ryder had left in the snow. 

“Like what do I forge? Uh well, I make a few things. The occasional weapons...I’ve forged a few swords for King Dalison, a bit for the Starks. A lot for the Banteers, considering that they’re one of the military families up north. I’ve made various tools...oh that door for that church in Bitterwood, I made sure those hinges worked properly,” he said, ending with a ‘matter of fact’ look on his face. 

Maeve nodded, as she expressed interest in his hobbies. “I thought you hated nobles, yet you forge things for them?” She teased.

“Well I do hate most of them, but they pay well...and some of them are tolerable,” Chase said, “for example, like you,” he mumbled before giving her a wink and a grin. “...and aside from all those normal industrial things I can make unique looking jewelry or decorative items, I sometimes do it in my spare time, you know, in case any of the jewellers in town run out of business,” he explained sarcastically. As he explained he remembered that he had made something for her. “For example,” he stated as he dug through his jacket pocket for something. “I made this for you, a few days back,” he said as he pulled out a necklace that had a pendant forged into a simple yet intricate Celtic knot. There were two interlocked hearts sitting within an oval, clearly in the shape of a Celtic Love Knot. “ If I remember correctly this specific shape represents the love between two people. Or was it also something about eternal love? Though I might be wrong so don’t quote me on it,” he said with a soft chuckle.

“Chase!” said Mae, gasping lightly. He made something for her, he thought of her and took his time out of his day to make something for her. “It’s beautiful, oh Gods.” She said smiling up at him. He could give her a flower that he picked off the ground, and she would be just as flattered. For her, it was the thought that counted. “You made this for me?” She asked him while taking the pendant in her hands and looking it over before she looked back at him with a bright smile.

He smiled when he watched her light up in happiness. Seeing her happy made him happy, and he never wanted to lose that feeling. “Aye...I did,” he replied as he looked at the pendant. “Here let me put it on for you,” he said as he moved to put it around her neck. Mae turned around and lifted her hair, letting him put the necklace around her neck. She put her hair back down, and she looked at it from around her neck. Turning back around to face him, she held the pendant in her fingers, still smiling as he looked back at him again. “Thank you, this means a lot,” she said happily, and she threw her arms around him, hugging him.

They eventually continued down their path, Maeve remaining happy at what she had received. “What do you enjoy doing? Aside from baking and spending most of your time with me,” Chase asked. He, however, went quiet when he noticed that something was off. The paw prints in the snow were gone and there were a few other footprints on the ground next to where the prints stopped. In addition to that, it was far too quiet for Chase’s liking. “Ryder...Ryder,” he called out before Maeve could answer his question. He exchanged a look of concern with Maeve as he reached for the bow he had brought along. 

Chase’s calm demeanour was replaced with a concerned and more serious one. He took an arrow out from the quiver and quickly aimed at a direction he heard a sound from. The leaves rustled from one of the few bushes that were still covered in leaves. Chase decided to be cautious, he didn’t want to take too many chances. ”Hey stay close,” he quietly told Maeve as he took a few steps towards the sound. “Who’s there,” he asked, being alert for anything to happen. It could have been anything. A bear, a person, Ryder just doing something stupid, but Chase was still careful nonetheless. 

An arrow whizzed past them, almost hitting Mae, but fortunately, it hit a tree that was right by her. A group of about 6 people emerged from their hiding spots, surrounding Mae and Chase, half of them having a weapon aimed at them. “Well what do we have here, isn’t this cute,” said a woman with a low voice, a smirk resting on her lips as she looked at the two. She had some form of black face-paint over her face, mostly over her eyes, masking some of her facial features. The others also seemed to have the same thing but in various patterns and locations. “Drop the bow and arrow handsome...or the dog gets it,” she said while Chase glared at them, still holding his weapons up, aiming directly at the woman who spoke. Maeve however looked a bit scared. Her heart was racing as she stood close to Chase, looking back at three others who were behind them. “Get rid of any weapons and give us your money, or any valuables,” she ordered.

“Now that’s just cruel,” commented Chase as he eyed all of them, trying to figure out a way out of this situation.

Maeve heard them order them to drop any valuables, and for Chase to drop his bow and arrow. She had been in a hostage situation before, so she knew to oblige quickly before things got out of hand. The noble had a detailed silver bracelet on, the only thing she had from her birth mother. She quickly unclipped the bracelet from her wrist and it dropped to the ground. “There,” she said, “I have nothing else on me. I didn’t bring anything,” she said quickly to the woman. Chase had glanced at Maeve when she had placed the bracelet down, but he didn’t move his stance or the position of his weapon. 

A gruff man, behind them, smirked slightly and then suggested, “Maybe we can take the girl too, she looks like she’s got more to offer...you see that bracelet and her clothes...they look far more expensive,” 

Both Maeve and Chase tensed up as the man spoke, Maeve more than Chase. She had backed up a bit, gripping onto the hem of Chase’s jacket. Human trafficking or worse. Maeve gulped as her eyes darted at the three people she could see. “Please just leave the dog alone, I-I have money, I can give you anything you want. Just-just give him back, and leave us alone…Please.” She pleaded. She then gasped as she felt some air leave her lungs when someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her back.

Chase faltered slightly as someone grabbed Maeve. “Hey! Get your fucking hands off of her, I can give you what you want,” he snapped angrily, as the unknown woman watched with content. He was not happy about it and his look of concern only grew angrier and annoyed at the six. 

That however didn’t seem to stop the man as he proceeded to drag the girl away. He covered her mouth, trying to suppress her screams. He tried to pick her up but it was a struggle as Maeve thrashed in his arms, kicking, scratching or biting, doing whatever she could to get away from him. 

Chase stood there uncomfortably, still surrounded but the others who were still there. He needed to get Maeve but he was thinking of a plan, quickly as he could so they could all get out of harm’s way. Then he realized something. During the whole time, they spoke no one was shooting an arrow at him or attacking. An idea popped into his head as he acted quickly, taking the moment to set down his bow and arrow as requested. He wasn’t giving up, but he was trying to prove to them that he was following through with their commands and being cooperative. 

“Attaboy...What do you have to offer, blacksmith?” asked the woman, almost mocking him as she took a step towards him. “Is it more than what she offered?”

Chase looked back into her eyes with an unchanged expression and said, “well...for a start, love, I’ve got my knives.” He smirked as he quickly bent down and pulled one out from the sheath of his boot. He threw it in the woman’s direction. It whizzed towards her and hit, striking her in the chest making her stagger back in shock as she got the wind knocked right out of her. The three holding their arrows who were first taken aback by what Chase did, began shooting, but Chase managed to evade most of them. A few skimmed past him causing light slashes which cut through part of his clothes giving him grazes or gashes. Fortunately, it didn’t impale him anywhere. He quickly grabbed his bow and arrow and spun around, shooting one of the people in the knee, taking down one archer as she groaned in pain and lost her balance. A crack was heard as she felt to the ground, blood already coming out of her injury. Another approached him, attempting to swing a blade and jab at him. Chase prepared to aim at the man but was tackled, causing him to lose his arrows as they all scattered out of his quiver and onto the ground. Seeing that they, Chase and the blade man, were in the line of fire of the two remaining archers who stood opposite to each other, he strategically got out of the way while pulling the guy down with him, just in time for the last two archer men to stupidly hit each other’s chest before falling to the ground. They weren’t as professional. 

There were only two of them left now. The kidnapper and the knife guy. The supposed leader and the lady with an arrow in her knee were in pain on the ground, but they weren’t going to do much at this rate. The leader was struggling to breathe, the blade probably having hit a lung while the one who had injured her knee was struggling to get back up on her feet as her leg shot up with excruciating pain. So now Chase just had to fight off one guy, and then catch up to the other who had snatched Maeve. He wasn’t going to let anyone lay a finger on her. 

“Come on mate, you don’t want to go against me,” Chase said as he kept a lookout to see where Mae was being taken, or any sign of Ryder. The guy who faced Chase chuckled maliciously. He didn’t seem like he was giving up just yet. He lunged forward, but Chase blocked the attack, pushing the guy’s arm back with his own. The two fought each other rather equally, blocking attacks that were thrown and creating new ones in hopes of getting it through to an attack that worked. Chase drew back and punched the guy’s face, his nose cracking as it broke. Blood began to drip from it as the guy staggered back and cursed in pain, fazed a bit by the blow that had made contact with his face. He shook his head in an attempt to compose himself and went to throw a punch at Chase, doing his best to ignore the pain that grew on his face and the taste of the blood as it dripped from his nose and towards his mouth. As Chase blocked a punch from the other, the guy threw his blade up, catching it with his free right hand before stabbing it through the blacksmith’s shoulder. Chase grunted and let out a series of curses under his breath as the pain struck him. To make matters worse the guy pulled the blade back out right after, making the entry wound hurt more and causing the blood to spew out of it. “Fuck you,” Chase muttered as he held his shoulder before he kicked at the guy, sending him staggering back a bit. Though his shoulder hurt like hell he continued to throw more punches where he could, the guy struggling as the pain from his bloody nose slowed him down a bit from reacting quickly. Soon chase gave him one more blow across his face before knocking the guy out.

Chase paused for a moment as he tried to catch his breath, holding onto his shoulder while he looked back at the two women who were still conscious on the ground. Every movement he made now with his arm just hurt more. He reached for a few of the fallen arrows and his bow before turning towards the direction Maeve had been dragged in. Ryder who had been freed and returned was growling at the injured leader of the group. “Ryder go! Find Mae,” Chase said before quickly following the path that had been taken.

While Chase had his fight to pick, the girl had to find a way to protect herself. If she didn’t, she would be dead. Her captor had resorted to dragging her, for he struggled to carry her off with her squirming and attempts to hit him. Her mouth was still covered by his hand, as he started dragging her deeper into the forest and away from the path. After all, that’s what he was commanded. Take the girl, and don’t worry about anything else, leave everyone behind.

Mae had mustered up the energy to finally bite down on his hand as hard as she could. She didn't know how that would work, but she knew she was doing something when she tasted blood. He hissed and left out a series of curses as he forcefully yanked his hand away from her mouth. As he did lose his grip on her for a second she tried to take her chance and run, but before she could get anything he grabbed her by her hair and pulled her back rather harshly. The action released an ear-piercing scream from the young maiden. The girl managed to twist and turn a bit from the man’s grip as she continued to hit him over and over again, to distract him so she could get away. He grabbed her by the arm to stop her, and he swung her around until she slammed up against a tree and fell to the ground. She frantically used her hands to search for anything on the ground, as she heard him approach her. She then felt a piece of bark near her hand that was semi-sharp. She grabbed it and swung it around, trying to hit him in some way. Mae first went for his head, but he kept dodging her attempts. So instead of trying to whack him she drew the piece of wood back and stabbed him in his thigh, which sent out a scream of agonizing pain from the man. He lost his balance and stumbled back, soon falling on the ground, the piece of wood still sticking out from his leg. “You fucking bitch!” he groaned as he tried pulling the piece of bark out. Maeve took the moment to frantically look around for something else. Her gaze then landed on a big rock. She crawled and then stood up, almost tripping over her dress before she ran to it to pick it up. Once it was in her grasp she stepped over to him and lifted the rock above her head, before slamming it on his face. The sound of a skull breaking followed by a splatter of blood was seen and heard. The man had cowered in fear, pleading and telling her to stop before his cries stopped and had gone silent. She did that a few times before she dropped the rock on the ground and backed up against a tree. She felt tears well up in her eyes. She began hyperventilating as she looked down at the dead man on the ground and her hands which were covered in blood. His blood. She looked up from her hands and looked around, wondering if Chase was okay. “Chase!...R-Ryder?!” She squeaked at first, struggling to get some proper sound out from all the yelling she had done before. Tears streamed down her face as she trembled, hoping that Chase was alright.

Chase frantically tried to find Maeve. It hurt as he heard her screams before they eventually got quiet. They echoed through the forest making it harder to find the right path, but he didn’t stop in his search for her, however when he couldn't hear her anymore his heart slowly sank as he hoped nothing bad had happened to her. He then heard her call out for him and his dog and was relieved to know he was going the right way and that she was okay, hopefully.

Ryder was first to reach Mae, still sobbing silently at the base of a tree. Upon seeing the dog she gasped softly, as she leaned down and hugged the dog. “Where’s Chase? Is he okay?” she asked the dog as if he could talk. The dog did however try to comfort her until Chase soon followed after.

“Hey hey, you okay?” Chase asked, sounding worried. He had seen Maeve first, and then he noticed all the blood that was on her. The blood that was covering her hands, parts of her pastel pink dress, some on her face from when she bit the guy. There was a trail of blood in the snow that was there, leading from Maeve, to the rock, and then chase saw the man. Everything looked rather gruesome. The blacksmith drew in a slow breath as he looked at the crushed man and then back at Maeve. “Are you hurt, did he hurt you?” He asked, still sounding very worried as he crouched down and held her close, realizing she was panicking over what she had done to the man. “It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay,” he tried to reassure her, as he embraced her and gently comforted her. 

Maeve started crying harder as he came over and hugged her. “I k-killed someone,” she squeaked. Maeve trembled against him as she was still in shock. She was clearly shaken by what she had done, and Chase knew it wouldn’t be easy to get over it just yet. He wiped away the tears that fell down her face and held her close despite his aching shoulder and her bloodied hands.

She didn't leave his embrace as she shifted her gaze up at him and asked, “A-are you okay?... You weren’t hurt, right?” 

As she looked up at him he frowned, seeing how sad and scared she looked. “Yeah I’m okay,” he reassured her, completely brushing over the fact that he had been stabbed. It wasn’t that visible over the darker clothing he wore, but it did hurt. However, he worried more about her than himself.

Maeve nodded as she moved closer if it was even possible to do that. She continued to sniffle as she closed her eyes and remained in Chase’s arms for what seemed like an eternity. “let’s go back,” she quietly said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

About thirty minutes had passed by the time Mae and Chase made it back to his home. They had managed to wash off most of the dead man’s blood from Maeve’s hands at the river, but she continued to shiver since she was still in shock, and also because she was kinda cold. The door to the house opened and Ryder walked in, and Mae followed. Chase had entered his house first. He set his things down on the table and sighed as the pain shot through his arm again, making him wince slightly. He paused for a moment, hoping the pain would subside before he walked around to light up a few of the candles and lanterns in the room. 

Maeve just stood there in her thoughts before she turned her attention to Chase as she looked him over through the light. “Oh gods,” she whispered, noticing the blood on his shirt, glistening against the dim light in the room. It was fresh. He turned to look at Mae when her sound of concern confusing him at first before he realized what she meant.

She walked over, and pushed his jacket off, revealing the blood-stained on his inner white shirt, causing him to flinch as the fabric which was moved away caused some irritation on the wound. “You are hurt! Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked as all thoughts regarding the murder she committed were pushed aside.

“I’m fine it’s okay, I’ve dealt with worse,” Chase replied, trying to reassure her as he brushed it off again. He didn’t want to worry her. She already had a lot she was thinking about, and adding this onto that would have been bad. Or so he thought. He tried to take his jacket off, and while he did his best to do this he tried to smile back at her, to show her that he was okay. However, with every slight action, his smile looked more pained than it should have.

Mae shook her head. “You got stabbed by something. If you don’t do anything it’s going to get infected,” she said, unbuttoning her cloak from on top of her dress and placing it on a vacant chair. “Sit down,” she ordered him.

Chase remained quiet as he listened to her. He turned a chair around from the kitchen table, hurting his shoulder more when he tried to pick it up, and took a seat watching her go around looking for things. She first walked over to the fireplace, finding some of the water that had been boiled before. She lit and kindled the fire, and placed the pot over it, hanging it over the hook which was there. She started opening cupboards, looking for anything to help. Alcohol. There was some leftover from when they were drinking before, and though it probably wasn't as helpful, she was certain it could cleanse the injury a bit. Maeve sighed softly, as she looked around and found a cloth and poured some alcohol on it, and she walked over to him. “I was taught on how to treat flesh wounds,” she said, sitting next to him on another chair. “Can you uh... remove your shirt?” she asked him, trying not to be weird.

He nodded at her request and removed his shirt which was now holding a darker crimson near his left shoulder. It hurt as he moved his arm to get the garment off, but he didn’t say anything. “It’s all yours, love,” he said as he looked at the extent of the wound. It was rather deep and it didn’t seem like it was going to stop bleeding just yet. Chase was actually surprised he didn’t pass out yet, he must have lost a lot of blood on their way back.

Maeve looked up at him. “It’s going to hurt,” she informed him, even though he probably already knew it would. Chase nodded as he braced himself to feel more pain. She placed the cloth over the wound and pressed onto it, trying to stop the bleeding, while the alcohol hopefully cleaned the wound. 

He looked at her as she pressed the cloth to his shoulder, watching her tend to the wound with great concentration. Chase winced slightly as the pain returned rather forcefully and shot through his arm. “At least you’re not dealing with an arrow through my arm,” he mumbled before closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. “Those are a real pain,” he added with a chuckle while she pulled the cloth off of his wound. Maeve smiled softly at what he said before she looked down at the cloth she had used. It was crimson now, the same colour that was on Chase’s shirt, clearly indicating that Chase’s injury was still fresh and bleeding. Or it could have been the wine but Maeve knew the difference in colour. The sandy blonde stood up and she walked over to the pot which had finished boiling. She reached for a bowl and grabbed a new cloth before she carefully poured some of the boiling water into the bowl. Once she found it to cool down a but she dipped the cloth into it, letting some of it soak up before she returned to Chase’s side. It was really hot, but she ignored the pain as it burned her fingers a bit. She blew at the cloth, trying to cool it down even further while she sat next to Chase again, soon applying it to his shoulder as she had done before. “Do you have like, bandages anywhere?” she asked him, as she eyed his face which had contorted a bit in discomfort. Her eyes did soon wander down to his bare-chested form. She stared at him for a few seconds before she snapped out of her thoughts and looked away quickly. Maeve hoped he wouldn't notice as she kept pressing the cloth against his wound, hoping it would stop the bleeding.

“Yeah...there should be some in my room or one of the cupboards, I can go get it for you,” Chase said, offering to help while he opened his eyes again and looked back at her. He chuckled a bit when he noticed her glance at the exposed upper half of his body before avoiding his gaze and turning back to his shoulder. He wanted to bug her about it but remembered something instead. “Oh wait, I almost forgot,” he said as he reached for his jacket which was on the ground. He grunted when he absentmindedly moved his injured arm, but he then continued to check the pockets with his good one. The man then pulled out her bracelet. The one she had put down before being dragged away. “You dropped this, and I had to make sure you got it back,” he remarked as he held it out for her with a charming yet slightly pained smile. 

Maeve gently dabbed at his wound before he moved to get something. As he pulled the bracelet out of his jacket pocket her expression softened, “You got it back?” she asked as she smiled gently at him, accepting the bracelet he handed back to her. He managed to smile as she lit up in the sight of her bracelet. Seeing her smile just made him feel a bit better. “I thought I would have lost it forever, it was the only thing my mother left me,” she explained while she set it on the table so it wouldn’t get bloodied up. 

She watched him wince again at the pain and she felt bad. “I’ll go get those bandages, just hold this here, so that it’ll stop bleeding,” she told him and she stood up, soon walking over to the cupboards looking around for anything. ‘Nothing…’ she thought, as she turned around and made her way towards his room. Ryder followed her in there, and he jumped on the bed, curled up and laid there. Maeve walked over to him and pet him for a second, and kissed his head, muttering a “Good boy,’ before she resumed her search for the bandages. She lit a few candles before she spoke out loud, asking “Where do you think the bandages are?” She didn’t speak loud enough for Chase to hear, but it was loud enough for the dog to look at her and tilt his head. The girl started rummaging around until she found a linen cloth, and decided she would use that. She then found a needle and a spool of thread on his desk.

In the meantime Chase just sat patiently in his spot, holding the cloth to his shoulder. Her absence gave him time to let out the breath he eventually realized he had been holding. Getting stabbed was a pain, and god it hurt now. The wine she had used to cleanse his shoulder was nearby, so he reached for it, hoping to get some in his system to numb the pain for a while. 

Maeve eventually returned with the things she found in her hands. “So I was thinking, I should probably cauterize the wound,” she began, “Or I could stitch you up, and then go into town and buy some medicinal herbs for it...“ she said, pausing for a movement as she looked at the things in her hands and then at him. “...But for now, I can probably just stitch it up, because I really don’t want to cauterize you, I don’t want to hurt you...especially after...what happened today,” she said, sitting back down next to him, and removing the cloth from his wound. The bleeding has subsided, but there was still a bit still there, glistening in the light that was produced by nearby candles. 

“Uh whatever works...as long as my mind’s occupied and I don’t die...and as long as you’re willing to do it,” he said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood as he waited for her to patch him up.

Maeve nodded, “Okay, I’ll just stitch you up real quick, and bandage it up, and it’ll be all done,” she said smiling, “Make sure you don’t move,” she told him. She held the needle over a flame from a nearby candle to sterilize it. She then cleaned it with the linen she found before putting her hand on his other shoulder to keep him steady as she stuck the needle at the top of the wound and stitched it up as quickly and carefully as she could.

Chase had taken another swig of the wine before he remained steady as she asked him too. “Ah shit,” he mumbled as he felt the tiny piece of metal go through the injured skin, causing the wound to hurt even more. As she did that, pulling the thread through, he said, “you know love, I saw you eyeing me a few minutes ago, why’d you look away? You know it’s alright.” He decided to talk about that as a smile tugged at his lips. To keep his mind off of the pain and to see her potentially smile again. It worked kinda. He was able to ignore the needle as it pierced his raw flesh, but that was also probably because he was drinking the alcohol.

When she was done she set down the items on the table before dipping her hands into the bowl of water to get most of his blood off. She dried her hands and then reached over for the bandages. As she began wrapping the linen cloth around the injury Chase winced at first as the pressure was put on his wound to keep it closed. “There, is that better?” She asked, looking back at him. Maeve did hear his previous remark but she didn't know what to say in response to it. She just let out a breath and looked up at him, as she tried holding back a smile and the fact that her face turned red. “I can’t get distracted,” she replied, standing up and grabbing up all the supplies so she could return them to where they previously were. She winked at Chase before she walked to his room to set the things back. 

“Oh? I’m a distraction...” he said pretending to be offended, as she finished up, “I guess I’ve got to put my shirt on again, can’t have you getting distracted any longer,” he remarked sarcastically as he reached down to pick up his clothes so he could put them away.

“Yes, you are a distraction,” she teased, “Woah, Woah there, no one ever said to put the shirt back on,” she said, putting her hand out to stop him while she laughed, then continuing on her way to his room.

As Maeve on the other hand was making her way back outside she saw herself in the mirror along with all the blood that was still on her light pink dress. Her hair was dishevelled, and there was some blood still on her face, and now some of Chase’s blood on her hands. She looked like she was the crime scene. Maeve sighed softly while she gazed back at the gruesome reflection that stared back at her. Not wanting to look at it anymore she untied the ribbons that held the dress tightly together, and let it fall to the ground. She picked up the garment and folded it up in her arms, trying to make all the blood that was visible on it hidden from her view. She looked back at the mirror, her reflection now much better in her opinion, except for the fact that she was just wearing her smock, her corset or girdle over it, and a skirt, and her shoes, which were thankfully not as stained as her dress, but merely having a slight tinge of red to them. She’d get it washed later when she got home. 

Maeve walked out of the room, and over to the fire which continued to burn faintly. As she walked out, Chase, who had stood up from his chair to get more light into the house by lighting other candles, made a glance over at her and then back at the candle he was lighting. He however stopped and did a double-take at Maeve. He looked confused at where her dress went as he followed the path she took with his eyes, watching her make it to the fire. Without hesitation she tossed the dress into the fire, knowing she would never wear it again. 

“You’re feeling better, yes?” she asked him, unaware of how much skin she was showing (well in medieval standards of course). She came back to a slightly confused wide-eyed Chase as she grabbed the bottle of wine out of his hand and took a swig before she went over to the couch. He nodded at her question as he eyed her this time, his mouth also slightly agape before he turned and looked back at the fire which was now crackling and burning brightly due to its extra kindling “Woah there love, are we being rebellious now?” He asked as he quirked a brow, “I hope you’re not planning on burning my house down.” He stood where he was while his gaze followed her as she walked to the couch and then back to the kitchen as if she forgot something. Maeve washed her hands properly to get as much of any bloodstains out and also made sure any other things that bothered her was gone, once she felt cleaner she continued on her search, looking for more wine, and she easily found a bottle of wine buried behind some stuff in the closet near the stairs.

“Rebellious? if that’s what you want to call it, I suppose,” she said giggling a bit, “But look what I found,” she smiled and went over to sit on the couch. “Care to join me, for a drink?” she said, shaking the secondary bottle in her hand before opening it. 

Chase laughed. “I need to start hiding them better, now that you’re finding them so easily,” he said as she went back to her seat and asked him if he wanted to join. Of course, at this point, he wouldn’t say no. She bit her lip, as she eyed him curiously and watched him walk over and sit right next to her. She kicked off her shoes as she took a few more sips from the bottle before handing it to him.

“If the wound starts bothering you, let me know,” she said, laying her head on his good shoulder.

Chase accepted the wine she handed over and drank some, nodding in response to her comment about his shoulder, “Aye, I doubt it’ll bother now, maybe tomorrow...either way I won’t bleed out all thanks to you,” he replied with a nod of appreciation. He also shrugged but immediately regretting the movement as it tugged a bit at his bandages. He drank some more of the wine before handing it back to her. 

Maeve then thought about how he eyed her when she came out. She did notice that, despite her clouded thoughts about what had happened hours before. “Also in reference back to what you said, last I remembered seeing, you were equally eyeing me when I just changed out of something uncomfortable,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “Then again this corset is probably the most uncomfortable thing ever,” she remarked, giggling again,

“Hmm, was I?” he asked, sounding oblivious before laughing, the alcohol slowly kicking in. “...it was pretty noticeable so...I’m not gonna deny that,” he added with a smirk, letting her rest her head on his uninjured shoulder. “For a second I thought I was seeing things,” he started with a quiet chuckle.

“It’s okay to look, I’m perfectly fine with it...I love you too much to be annoyed by it,” she said, flirting back.

“You know, if that corset is really bothering you, you might as well take it off,” he simply said before looking back at her.

Mae blushed, a deep crimson colour washed over her face as he handed the bottle back to her. Making her raise her head from his shoulder. She took another drink, looking at him. “You think I should take it off? Hale...” she asked him, drawing out his last name as she moved to stand up. She was for sure tipsy already. “I guess you’re right. But maybe I’ll do it in your room, and then cover myself up with my cloak,” Maeve mumbled, turning to grab her cloak. Once she did, she stopped to look at him, “You can come, if that pleases you,” she innocently said, giving him a cute grin before turning away and sauntering into his room. The sandy blonde placed her cloak on his bed before she starting to untie her corset.

Chase raised a brow while he watched her making her way to his room. He looked like a deer in headlights again, a bit surprised at Mae’s behaviour. Yet her grin made him smile before she went inside. Ryder, who had previously occupied the room, trotted out and curled up on the ground next to the couch. Chase chuckled slightly before drinking the rest of the wine and setting the bottle down on the table. “Get some rest buddy, you had a long day too,” he told the dog as he gently patted his head, soon looking back at his room. The blacksmith stood up from his seat and blew out a few of the candles that had been lit, before following after her. “Need a hand?” he asked as he leaned against the doorframe with his uninjured arm. His arms were weakly crossed as he looked at her before he uncrossed them and walked towards her.

Maeve turned around and saw him standing there leaning against the door frame, “You’re drunk,” she said, watching him walk towards her, “But that’s okay since I am too.” she said, stepping towards him. “And yeah, I could use some help,” she added turning around as she stood in front of him. She pulled her hair to the side over her shoulder so it wouldn’t get in the way. As Mae stood there she felt her heart race and her breathing pick up a bit.

“Well at least we’re both moderately drunk this time,” he remarked. 

“You know how to do it, right?” she asked him. As she looked back at his room she noticed how dimly lit it had become, almost making things sort of romantic, or maybe she was just thinking too much about this.

“And yeah...I know how too...I probably wouldn’t have offered to help if I didn’t,” he reassured with a gentle chuckle. Chase carefully loosened the ribbon before pulling it out of the corresponding loops, undoing the proper lacing and allowing Mae to receive some comfort as it became looser around her waist. “You okay?” He asked her as the corset finally came undone, allowing her to probably breathe better now as she grew nervous. Maeve however, actually felt brave, as she was drunk. It was a situation with liquid courage. If she was sober, she’d probably still have had that bloodied dress on.

Chase had walked around her and now faced her, a gentle smile on his face as he removed the corset straps from her shoulders and set the piece of clothing on the bed as it came off of her. He reached for her cloak to put it around her shoulder, as she previously said she would do. “I hope you’re still not worried about what happened today,” he said, moving to drape the cloak around her, “Or maybe I was distracting enough,” he joked with a playful smile, still trying to lighten the situation of today’s events. He was however stopped as Maeve’s smaller hand was placed on his chest to stop him from doing anything. She took the cloak in her other hand as he let go of it. He looked down at her and then at the ground when he heard the quiet thump of the cloak hitting the ground. 

“Don’t,” she said in reference to his concerns about what had happened earlier. She looked back into his eyes, and he looked back into her’s as they stood in silence for a few seconds. “As long as the door is locked, and it’s just the two of us, nothing else matters,” she said while she backed away from him and closed the door behind them. As she stood at the door looking him up and down she said, “I’m drunk,” while she shook her head a bit, and then approached him again. “And am I okay?” she repeated his question. Maeve stood on her tippy toes, and put her arms around his neck, pulling herself up to him so her face was inches from his. “I think I’m great,” she said, smiling at him.

Chase watched her speak and do her things, hesitating as he tried to find solid words to whatever she was saying. However, before he could say anything she would say something else after that. “Nothing else matters huh? And anything could happen?” he said as he brought his arms around her waist, pulling her a bit closer.

“Yeah, nothing else matters, don’t you think?” she asked him.

The male drew in a breath as he looked back at her through the small distance that stood between them. “As long as you’re sure you’re okay,” he replied, earning a simple nod from her. “But if anything could happen, maybe something like this?” he said before leaning in and kissing her. A gentle kiss that brought them closer as their alcohol played with their senses. Maeve felt breathless as closed her eyes a few seconds after he started kissing her. Though her thoughts were clouded a few moments ago, everything seemed to melt away as their lips kept their connection. What was once gentle became more passionate as Maeve moved her hands to the side of his face. While Chase did facilitate the kiss he still felt great concern towards the woman he loved. His thoughts on the other hand were put on hold when they seemed to stop.

She pulled away and laughed quietly. “Wow,” she said. “You’re a really good kisser. Like really good,” she said unaware that she was completely embarrassing herself, though Chase only smiled back at her. She looked him over, her body still up against his, and she gave him a weak smile. “I love you,” she said moving so she could sit on his bed. Once she took a seat she looked at him and said, “You’re also really tall. Why are you so tall?” She starting to ramble about random stuff since she started to feel nervous. Chase couldn’t help but keep his smile on his lips as she rambled on. “Are you nervous too?” she whispers.

He could tell she was feeling nervous and his theory was right when she asked him if he was feeling the same way. He walked over towards her and took a seat beside her. He took her hands in his and quietly said, “I love you too Mae...but you know we don’t have to do anything,” he looked back at her, his right hand moving to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. Maeve calmed down a bit at his simple gestures. He didn’t want her to feel like she had to do any of this. She had the option to say and do what she wanted to do if she was comfortable with it. “We can call it a night, and you don’t have to feel so nervous,” he added, making sure she was okay with her choice. Hell, she was drunk, her choices could have been influenced by the alcohol, but he still cared enough to give her the chance to think it through. #consent :)

“I want you to,” she said. “I’ve never been with anyone,” she said. “I’m nervous. but I’m not scared,” she said, looking up at him. “I want this. I want you,” she said, and moved back on his bed a bit, grabbing his good arm and pulling him back with her. “I am drunk, but I know what I want,” she said. She got on her knees on the bed and leaned towards him, as she pressed her lips against his once more, this time she took the lead. He leaned in closer as he gently held the side of her face and kissed her back. Letting his affection and love for her be shown as their lips connected in a series of movements. The worries of the day seemed to evaporate as they focused on the two of them. For as Mae said, ‘nothing else really mattered’ for now and that’s exactly what happened. It was just the two of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's your summary! 
> 
> Maeve and Chase head out on a stroll when they get ambushed by six disguised people. They demand riches in jewelry, money and anything valuable both Mae and Chase currently have. While the two try to find a way out, one of the six kidnaps Mae, dragging her away from Chase while the other five attempt to get things from the blacksmith. The man attacks the five, fighting them off as he kills or injures them before he goes back to find Maeve. He himself was injured but pushing all aside, he keeps searching with the help of Ryder. Mae on the other hand fends for herself. she trashes around and tries to get out of her kidnapper's grip when she eventually stabs his led with a piece of bark. Then out of self-defence, she kills the man with a rock. Chase finds Maeve all shocked and scared as he tries to comfort her from what she had done and what had happened. The two head home and Maeve tends to Chase's wound once she finds out about it. The two eventually get drunk in an attempt to forget the day and they spend the night together.


End file.
